Comparison of two methods for reducing blood loss during total knee arthroplasty / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Reducing blood loss could help to prevent the complications of total knee arthroplasty, relieve the swelling and discomfort postoperatively and accelerate the rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE:To explore the methods for reducing blood loss during total knee arthroplasty. METHODS:Totally 63 patients undergoing primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 27 patients who received the conventional surgical techniques using tourniquet during the whole procedure with wound drainage, as control group. Group 2 included 36 patients who received the modified procedure only using tourniquet during prosthesis implantation without wound drainage, as experimental group. In the experimental group, we stitched the capsule closely. The preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin, decrease of hemoglobin, knee pain score, range of motion blood transfusion rate and wound healing were compared between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) There was no significant difference in preoperative hemoglobin between the two groups. At 1, 4 and 7 days postoperatively, the hemoglobins were significantly lower in the control group than in the experimental group, and the decreases of hemoglobins were significantly lower in the control group than in the experimental group. (2) Knee pain score was not significantly different between the two groups. (3) The range of motion of the knee was significantly larger in the experimental group than in the control group at 7 days. (4) Blood transfusion rate was 18.5%in the control group, and wound healing was poor in one patient. There was no transfused case and wound problem in the experimental group. All wounds were healed normally. (5) There was no infection or hematoma in two groups. (6) With the modified procedure, we could reduce blood loss during total knee arthroplasty without blood transfusion after surgery, which was helpful to postoperative rehabilitation.