Tourniquets are still widely used in total knee arthroplasty, but are associated with several adverse effects. Most of previous studies did not randomize the participants so the baseline difference of the patients might have influenced the outcome. Therefore, investigators conducted a randomized controlled trial, in which all the patients received staged bilateral TKA with two different durations of tourniquet use. Investigators aimed to quantify the effect of tourniquet use on reducing blood loss and to evaluate the impact of tourniquet use on functional and clinical outcome.
Fifty participants who underwent staged bilateral TKA were recruited in this study. On one side, the tourniquet was inflated immediately before incision and deflated after the hardening of the cement. On the other side the tourniquet was inflated immediately before cement application and deflated after its hardening. Blood loss, operating time, transfusion rate, postoperative pain, limb swelling, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) incidence and clinical outcomes were monitored for comparison.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
50
Short-duration tourniquet group:inflate the tourniquet immediately before cement application and deflated after its hardening
Long-duration tourniquet group: inflate the tourniquet immediately before incision and deflated after the hardening of the cement
Intraoperative blood loss
Time frame: within operation
Thigh pain measured by Visual Analogue Scale/Score (VAS)
Time frame: 1 day, 2 day, 1 week, 2 week and 6 week after surgery
Thigh swelling measured by circumference 10 cm proximal to the patella
Time frame: 1 day, 2 day, 1week, 2 week and 6 week after surgery
Postoperative blood loss measured by drainage volume
Time frame: 1 day and 2 day after surgery
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