Clinical and Functional Outcomes of Tourniquet Use in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

Clinical and Functional Outcomes of Tourniquet Use in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

Many surgeons choose to perform total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery with the aid of a tourniquet. A tourniquet is a device that fits around the leg and restricts blood flow to the limb. There is a need to understand whether tourniquets are safe, and if they benefit, or harm, patients. The aim of this study was to determine the benefits and harms of tourniquet use in TKA surgery

randomized controlled trials , comparing TKA with a tourniquet versus without a tourniquet. Outcomes included: post-operative pain measure with analogue visual scale function with Oxford Score , Lysholm score and International Knee Documentation Committee Score intraoperative blood loss measurement of quadriceps tonus in pre- and post-operative according to the international rating measurement of quadriceps area circumference duration of surgery, and length of hospital stay

Inclusion Criteria:

• Osteoarthritis Kellgren and Lawrence score III or IV
• Written consent
• Total knee arthroplasty

Exclusion Criteria:

• Neurological dysfunction
• Coagulation disorder
• Glucocorticoids, aspirin, heparin, coumadine, warfarin
• History of pulmonary embolism