PurposeThe use of an intraoperative tourniquet for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common practice. However, the effectiveness and safety are still questionable. A systematic review was conducted to examine that whether using a tourniquet in TKA was effective without increasing the risk of complications.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was done in PubMed Medicine, Embase, and other internet database. The review work and the following meta-analysis were processed to evaluate the role of tourniquet in TKA.ResultsEight randomized controlled trials and three high-quality prospective studies involving 634 knees and comparing TKA with and without the use of a tourniquet were included in this analysis. The results demonstrated that using a tourniquet could decrease the measured blood loss but could not decrease the calculated blood loss, which indicated actual blood loss. Patients managed with a tourniquet might have higher risks of thromboembolic complications. Using the tourniquet with late release after wound closure could shorten the operation time; whereas early release did not show this benefit.ConclusionsThe current evidence suggested that using tourniquet in TKA may save time but may not reduce the blood loss. Due to the higher risks of thromboembolic complications, we should use a tourniquet in TKA with caution.

Introduction. Surgical intervention in putaminal hemorrhage has been a controversial issue. The aim of this research is to evaluate the benefits of surgery for reducing the development of brain edema.Materials and methods. Sixteen cases of putaminal hemorrhage were examined. Eight patients were treated conservatively (C group), and the other 8 patients were treated surgically (S group). Head CT scans were performed on the day of onset (day 0) in C group or performed just after surgery (day 0) in S group, and performed again once per period on days 1-7, 8-14, and 15-21. The volume of the mass including hematoma and edema (H þ E) was measured using CT scans and the (H þ E)/H 0 ratios were calculated (H 0 ; hematoma volume on day 0). The (H þ E)/H 0 ratios for each period were compared statistically between the 2 groups using a t-test.Results. The mean values of (H þ E)/H 0 ratios at each period were 2. 19, 2.63, 2.53 in C group, and 1.29, 1.29, 0.66 in S group. The values in S group were significantly lower as compared with C group in every period ( p < 0.01, <0.05, <0.01).Conclusions. Hematoma volume reduction by surgery reduced the development of brain edema.

Anti‐osteoporosis treatment following hip fractures may reduce the overall mortality rate. However, the effects of different drugs on mortality is still unclear. This population‐based cohort study aimed to identify the degree of reduced mortality after various anti‐osteoporosis regimens following hip fracture surgery. We conducted this cohort study to identify patients with newly diagnosed osteoporosis and hip fractures from 2009 to 2017 using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). The subsequent use of anti‐osteoporosis medication following hip fracture surgery was collected and analyzed. National death registration records were retrieved to determine mortality. A total of 45,226 new cases of osteoporotic hip fracture were identified. Compared with patients who did not receive further treatment, patients who had ever used oral bisphosphonates (alendronate and risedronate, hazard ratio [HR] 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78–0.84), ibandronate (HR 0.76; 95% CI, 0.67–0.86), zoledronic acid (HR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.64–0.76), and denosumab (HR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.60–0.68) showed lower all‐cause mortality rates. Patients treated with bisphosphonates had a lower mortality risk than those treated with selective estrogen receptor modulators (HR 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75–0.87). Patients treated with zoledronic acid showed a lower mortality risk than those treated with oral bisphosphonates (HR 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82–0.97). However, patients receiving denosumab and zoledronic acid did not show a significant difference in mortality (HR 0.94; 95% CI, 0.85–1.03). Different anti‐osteoporosis treatments for postsurgical patients were associated with different levels of decline in mortality. Generally, longer durations of drug use were associated with lower mortality. © 2022 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

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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 comprehensive literature search was done in PubMed Medicine, Embase, and other internet database. Debating issues, including the blood loss, operation time, alignment, compromised wound healing, quadriceps weakness and timing of release were furtherly examined. 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 without drainage.