influence of tourniquet use and timing of its release on blood loss after total knee arthroplasty

ABSTRACT

To determine the influence of tourniquet use and the timing of its release on amount of bleeding during total knee arthroplasty. Clinical trial. Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine Hamadan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Hamadam, Iran From 2005 to 2008. Eighty four patients [96 knees] who underwent total knee arthroplasty were randomly assigned into three groups group I tourniquet not applied, group II the tourniquet deflated intraoperatively, group III the tourniquet released after the wound closure. Mean blood drainage and transfusions required, hemoglobin and hematocrit values and operation time were compared among the groups. Hemoglobin and hematocrit, tourniquet time [for groups II and III] and number of blood transfusions given, were similar in all the groups. The operation time was significantly long for group I [p 0.012]. Using tourniquet does not reduce blood loss in total knee asrthroplasty however it reduces operation time significantly