
Arthroplasty
Assessing blood loss and patient outcomes after total knee arthroplasty with vs. without tourniquet
Int J Surg. 2018 Dec;60:182-187. doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2018.11.008100 patients scheduled for total knee arthroplasty and had the knee placed in 60 degrees flexion for the first 24 hours after surgery were randomized to surgery with or without intraoperative use of a tourniquet. Patients were assessed for outcomes related to blood loss, pain scores on a visual analog scale, knee range of motion, knee circumference, and incidence of complications. For blood loss outcomes, intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower in the tourniquet group, while postoperative blood loss to drainage and hidden blood loss were significantly lower in the non-tourniquet group. Total blood loss and transfusion rate did not significantly differ between groups. Pain scores and knee circumference were significantly higher in the tourniquet group for the first 5 days after surgery, and knee range of motion was significantly lower in the tourniquet group over the first month after surgery.
Unlock the full article
Get unlimited access to OrthoEvidence with a free trial
Start TrialCritical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics
Or continue reading this full article
Register Now

Subscribe to "The Pulse"
Evidence-Based Orthopaedics direct to your inbox.