title: Computer-assisted surgery can reduce blood loss after total knee arthroplasty.
abstract: The aim of this study was to compare blood loss and transfusion requirements in patients undergoing computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and patients operated with conventional instrumentation with intra-medullar guides. A prospective randomized study of 87 patients undergoing a TKA assigned to conventional technique (n = 44) or computer-assisted surgery (n = 43) was conducted. All patients were operated by the same surgeon and in all cases a cemented arthroplasty and deep recovery drainage were used. Both groups were comparable in all variables except for duration of ischemia, which was 13.7 min higher in the computer-assisted group. Blood loss due to drainage was higher in the conventional technique group (613 vs. 447 ml), as was the number of patients in which blood from the blood recovery system was reinfused (53 vs. 23%). Those patients undergoing computer-assisted surgery experienced less bleeding than those operated with the conventional technique. However, hemoglobin drop and allogenic transfusion rate were not statistically different in both groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital de Esperanza-IMAS, Barcelona, Spain. PHinarejos@imas.imim.es
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hinarejos
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corrales
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matamalas
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bisbe
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cáceres
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins