The Effects of Tourniquet Use in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Peking University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Blood Loss

Treatments: Procedure: Long-duration tourniquet; Procedure: Short-duration tourniquet

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02429713

PekingUPH

Details and patient eligibility

About

Tourniquets are still widely used in total knee arthroplasty, but are associated with several adverse effects. Most of previous studies did not randomize the participants so the baseline difference of the patients might have influenced the outcome. Therefore, investigators conducted a randomized controlled trial, in which all the patients received staged bilateral TKA with two different durations of tourniquet use. Investigators aimed to quantify the effect of tourniquet use on reducing blood loss and to evaluate the impact of tourniquet use on functional and clinical outcome.

Full description

Fifty participants who underwent staged bilateral TKA were recruited in this study. On one side, the tourniquet was inflated immediately before incision and deflated after the hardening of the cement. On the other side the tourniquet was inflated immediately before cement application and deflated after its hardening. Blood loss, operating time, transfusion rate, postoperative pain, limb swelling, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) incidence and clinical outcomes were monitored for comparison.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• patients aged 50 years or over
• classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists ASA 1-2.

Exclusion criteria

• coagulopathy,
• uncontrolled hypertension,
• peripheral vascular disease and
• patients with BMI≥35

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Short-duration tourniquet group

Experimental group

Description:

The tourniquet was inflated immediately before cement application and deflated after its hardening

Treatment:

Procedure: Short-duration tourniquet

Long-duration tourniquet group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The tourniquet was inflated immediately before incision and deflated after the hardening of the cement

Treatment:

Procedure: Long-duration tourniquet