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Has Tranexamic Acid in Total Knee Arthroplasty Made Tourniquet Use Obsolete?

ABSTRACT: The application of tranexamic acid (TXA) in total joint arthroplasty has dramatically improved peri-operative blood management. In light of these benefits, a study by Huang et al., "Intravenous and Topical Tranexamic Acid Alone Are Superior to Tourniquet Use for Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty," evaluates the need for continued use of the intra-operative tourniquet, which remains a routine practice with documented benefits and adverse effects. This review evaluates the study's design and critically interprets its findings for clinical practice. Through a prospective, randomized trial, Huang et al. demonstrated that among selected patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty, the use of a tourniquet results in no reduction in blood loss beyond that provided by TXA alone. Moreover, the use of TXA without a tourniquet led to improved early clinical outcomes such as reduced post-operative swelling, improved knee range of motion at discharge, and enhanced patient satisfaction. As medicine is practiced in an increasingly value-driven environment, this study provides a useful method for evaluating the utility of commonly used interventions. Its findings highlight the need for future investigations into the optimal administration of TXA in total knee arthroplasty.

SUBMITTER: Brusalis CM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6148574 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Has Tranexamic Acid in Total Knee Arthroplasty Made Tourniquet Use Obsolete?

Brusalis Christopher M CM Bostrom Mathias P G MPG Richardson Shawn S SS

HSS journal : the musculoskeletal journal of Hospital for Special Surgery 20180815 3

The application of tranexamic acid (TXA) in total joint arthroplasty has dramatically improved peri-operative blood management. In light of these benefits, a study by Huang et al., "Intravenous and Topical Tranexamic Acid Alone Are Superior to Tourniquet Use for Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty," evaluates the need for continued use of the intra-operative tourniquet, which remains a routine practice with documented benefits and adverse effects. This review evaluates the study's design and critica ...[more]

PMID: 30258343

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Project description:BackgroundA combined intravenous and intra-articular regimen is one of the most effective administration routes of tranexamic acid (TXA) to reduce perioperative blood loss in unilateral total knee arthroplasty. However, there have been few reports regarding use of the combined regimen for patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty, in which blood-management strategy is more challenging.MethodsWe compared perioperative blood loss in 30 consecutive patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty who received both 1,000 mg of TXA intravenously and 1,000 mg of intra-articular TXA in each knee (combined TXA group) with that in a consecutive series of 51 patients who only received 1,000 mg of TXA intravenously (intravenous TXA group). Additional intravenous TXA was administered 6 hours after the initial administration in both groups. Except for the intraoperative TXA administration regimen, an identical perioperative blood-management strategy was applied to both groups; this consisted of transfusion of 800 or 400 mL of predeposited autologous blood except for patients with a preoperative hemoglobin level of <11.0 g/dL, who received 4 units of allogenic blood. All surgical procedures were performed with spinal anesthesia and without use of a pneumatic tourniquet. Perioperative blood loss was calculated using the blood volume and change in hemoglobin level from the preoperative measurement to postoperative day 3.ResultsThere was significantly less perioperative blood loss in the combined TXA group compared with the intravenous TXA group (mean and standard deviation, 1,201 ± 347 versus 1,638 ± 400 mL, respectively; mean difference, 437 mL; 95% confidence interval, 263 to 613 mL; p < 0.0001). No patient in the combined TXA group and 1 patient (2%) in the intravenous TXA group required additional allogenic blood transfusion. No thrombotic events occurred in either group.ConclusionsIn a nonrandomized comparison, combined intra-articular and intravenous TXA significantly reduced the calculated perioperative blood loss in simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty compared with that found in patients treated only with intravenous TXA.Level of evidenceTherapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Has Tranexamic Acid in Total Knee Arthroplasty Made Tourniquet Use Obsolete?

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Has Tranexamic Acid in Total Knee Arthroplasty Made Tourniquet Use Obsolete?

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