Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a successful treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. The main advantages of TKA are to relieve the pain of the knee, improve the knee function, restore lower limb alignment, and improve the quality of life for patients. During TKA, some surgeons prefer using a scalpel while others using electrocautery to expose the articular cavity. Whether the use of scalpel can lead to better and faster recovery after the primary TKA is still controversial.

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of using the scalpel and the electrocautery in primary TKA

A randomized controlled trial of patients underwent primary TKA between October 2021 and October 2023. The groups will be determined by using the computer to generate a randomization lists. A total 132 patients were included with 66 patients in the scalpel group, 66 patients in the electrocautery group. All patients were evaluated using primary outcome : Post-operative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of pain, secondary outcome: estimated blood loss and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS-JR)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Osteoarthritis patient (KL classification gr 2-4)
• Primary TKA
• Varus deformity < 20 degree
• Flexion contracture < 20 degree

Exclusion Criteria:

• Coagulopathy
• Platelet dysfunction
• Inflammatory arthritis
• Revision TKA