This prospective, double-blinded RCT (n=200) randomized TKA patients to surgery with or without a tourniquet to determine whether tourniquet use impairs postoperative functional recovery or increases pain — testing the hypothesis that it would.
When deciding whether to use a tourniquet for routine TKA, this Level I RCT supports its use: it reduces blood loss and improves visualization without impairing functional recovery or increasing pain.
Patient-specific exceptions — such as significant peripheral vascular disease or prior arterial bypass — still warrant individualized decision-making, as this population was excluded.
This prospective, double-blinded RCT (n=200) randomized TKA patients to surgery with or without a tourniquet to determine whether tourniquet use impairs postoperative functional recovery or increases pain — testing the hypothesis that it would.
When deciding whether to use a tourniquet for routine TKA, this Level I RCT supports its use: it reduces blood loss and improves visualization without impairing functional recovery or increasing pain.
Patient-specific exceptions — such as significant peripheral vascular disease or prior arterial bypass — still warrant individualized decision-making, as this population was excluded.