Tourniquet Use in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract

The use of an intraoperative tourniquet for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common practice. Although it provides clear filed and ideal cementation during surgery, issues regarding the effectiveness, drawbacks and complications are still investigated. This review was conducted to evaluate the role of tourniquet in TKA through a compre- hensive literature search was done in PubMed Medicine, Embase, and other internet database. Debating issues, including the blood loss, operation time, alignment, compro- mised wound healing, quadriceps weakness and timing of release were furtherly exam- ined. Based on our prior work and the general consensus that the tourniquet should be set with the lowest pressure and for the least ischemic time possible, we recommend early tourniquet release right after the closure of extensor mechanism in the TKAs with- out