NCT03559478

Sharp Dissection Versus Monopolar Electrocautery in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Performed Under Tourniquet

Sharp Dissection Versus Monopolar Electrocautery in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Performed Under Tourniquet: a Randomized Double Blind Controlled Trial

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 70 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: —
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study compares the use of sharp dissection with diathermy for the approach to a total knee replacement. Half of the patients will be randomly assigned each intervention.

Detailed description

The approach to the knee to carry out a total knee replacement (TKR) can either be carried out using a scalpel, sharp dissection, or using an electric current to divide tissue, monopoly electrocautery. Reducing blood loss is important. Blood loss can result in anaemia, which has a number of effects including shortness of breath, chest pain and lethargy. Blood loss into a newly replaced knee can also result in pain and stiffness in the joint. Total knee replacements are routinely carried out with a tourniquet inflated, which reduces the blood flow into to leg during the operation. Diathermy is applied to areas of bleeding to stop them from doing so during operations. With the tourniquet inflated, some areas that would bleed when this was deflated may not be noticed and continue to bleed. Using diathermy for the approach would be expected to reduce this bleeding compared to using a scalpel.

Conditions

• Osteo Arthritis Knee
• Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Sharp dissection with scalpel plus electrocautery to vessels	A scalpel will be used for dissection for TKA implantation. Bleeding vessels will be managed as encountered with electrocautery. Electrocautery will not be used for dissection.
PROCEDURE	Electrocautery for all dissection	Skin incision will be made with a scalpel, but all other dissection will be performed with electrocautery.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-11-01
• Primary completion: 2021-04-01
• Completion: 2021-04-01
• First posted: 2018-06-18
• Last updated: 2018-10-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom