Comparison between 1-Hour Clamping Drainage and Nonclamping Drainage after Total Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract

Background and objective: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a major orthopedic operation for treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is associated with significant postoperative blood loss. Most orthopedic surgeons routinely use closed suction drains after TKA to avoid the development of postoperative hematomas. The current evidence cannot confirm whether clamping the draingage ofter TKA was advantage over the nonclamping the drainage. Additional well-designed randomized controlled trials are required to strengthen this claim.

Methods: Sixty-two patients were performed at Srinagarind Hospital. The patients were allocated randomly to 2 groups; Group 1 :nonclamping drainage :31 patients, and Group 2: 1-hour clamping drainage : 31 patients.

Results : The mean postoperative blood loss was not significant difference between group1(793ml) and group2 (621ml). The difference of hematocrit level was not significant difference between group 1 (4.25%) and group 2 (4.25%)

Conclusions: There were no statistically significant differences observed in the total amount of blood drainage and hematocrit level between groups.

Keywords : Total knee arthroplasty, Clamping drainage, Blood loss