Is cement penetration in TKR reduced by not using a tourniquet during cementation? A single blinded, randomized trial

Abstract

Despite suggestions that tourniquet inflation during total knee replacement reduces bleeding and hence improves cement penetration, no studies exist supporting this widely held belief. In this single-blinded, single-surgeon, randomized controlled trial, the tourniquet inflation during cementation group (n = 20) did not have greater tibial cement penetration compared to a no tourniquet group (n = 20). No statistically significant differences in semiautomatic digitally measured average and central radiographic tibial plateau penetration values were observed between the two groups (p = 0.93; p = 0.84). Tourniquet inflation during cementation does not appear to improve tibial cementation penetration.