title: Drainage does not promote post-operative rehabilitation after bilateral total knee arthroplasties compared with nondrainage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of suction drainage versus nondrainage on the post-operative rehabilitation of patients receiving primary bilateral total knee arthroplasties (TKA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study including 40 patients was conducted. These patients were diagnosed with osteoarthritis and underwent primary bilateral TKA between October 2007 and September 2009 with the same operation team. A suction drainage was placed by randomization in only one knee for each patient, while the other knee as self-control. Pain visual analogue scale score, extremity swelling, wound healing, range of motion and incidence of early post-operative complications between the drained and nondrained group were compared statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each patient was followed up for 12 months. Placing drainage did not relieve the pain, extremity swelling, ecchymosis, or reduce the incidence of early complications (all P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suction drainage in TKA does not exhibit substantial advantages in promoting post-operative rehabilitation after unsophisticated TKA, compared with nondrainage. On the other hand, it might complicate the surgical operation, and increase the incidence of post-operative hemorrhage and retrograde infection. Thus we do not recommend suction drainage in unsophisticated TKA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Xi-sheng
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Gui-xing
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D014945:Wound Healing