Using tourniquets throughout total knee arthroplasty surgery may reduce total blood loss without increasing early postoperative complications, according to a study in The Journal of Arthroplasty.
The study authors examined 54 female patients who underwent 108 TKAs. Patients undergoing simultaneous TKAs had one knee assigned to group A (tourniquet used during the entire procedure) and the other knee assigned to group B (tourniquet used only during cementation). Researchers assessed blood loss, intraoperative complications, implant alignment, soft tissue swelling, pain scores and range of motion .
Here are three things to know:
1. Total blood loss was almost two times higher in group B knees compared with group A.
2. No difference was observed between groups in terms of implant alignment, soft tissue swelling, pain, range of motion or other early postoperative complications.
3. Researchers used the CarboJet CO2 Bone Preparation system in the study, which uses medical-grade compressed carbon dioxide gas to remove lipids and fatty marrow elements, blood and saline from the bone surface prior to cementation.