CLENBUTEROL, A BETA-ADRENOCEPTOR AGONIST, INCREASES RELATIVE MUSCLE STRENGTH IN ORTHOPEDIC PATIENTS

1. The sympathomimetic agent clenbuterol has a muscle-specific anaboli c effect in normal and wasted muscles from animals. This trial was des igned to examine the effect of the drug on the recovery of muscle stre ngth and area after open medial meniscectomy. 2. A double-blind, compl etely randomized, placebo-controlled study was carried out on 20 healt hy male patients. Muscle strength and cross-sectional area were determ ined before and after surgery. Patients were treated with drug or plac ebo for 4 weeks postoperatively and there was a 2 week washout period. 3. The results suggest that, in the operated leg, clenbuterol treatme nt is associated with a more rapid rehabilitation of strength in knee extensor muscles; in the unoperated leg, knee extensor strength increa sed above the initial values after 6 weeks (P=0.01). However, in terms of absolute strength the differences were not significant between the two groups. 4. It is concluded that the data lend support to the prop osition that clenbuterol has therapeutic potential in the treatment of muscle-wasting conditions.