title: [Assessment of bleeding and operative time in total knee arthroplasty with and without tourniquet. Comparative study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of the pneumatic tourniquet (PT) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been controversial; its advantages, disadvantages and associated complications have been described. In order to assess its benefits we analyzed operative time; intraoperative, postoperative and total bleeding volume, as well as pre- and postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit values in patients who had undergone primary TKA using the PT, and they were compared with a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of the clinical records of cases who underwent TKA was conducted. Based on the inclusion criteria and the use or nonuse of PT, two groups were formed: a study group (n=19) and a control group (n=19). The following variables were compared: operative time, intra and postoperative bleeding and total bleeding; initial and final hemoglobin and hematocrit values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences in favor of the group with PT use were obtained in 7 out of the 8 variables studied. The most relevant ones were operative time (t = 2.08 p < 0.050); intraoperative bleeding (t = -6.44, p < 0.010); postoperative bleeding (t = -2.170 p < 0.050) and total bleeding (t = /7.52, p < 0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that patients in whom PT was used during TKA had a shorter operative time, and their total, intra- and postoperative bleeding and the estimated, blood loss were lower than in controls. Additional suppositions on the benefits of PT warrant the conduction'of more prospective research studies.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arcia-Guzmán
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bernabé-Castañeda
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Arcia-Guzmán
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Olguín-Montoya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000379:methods*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014111:Tourniquets
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins