The Effect of Two-hours Post-operative Drain Clamping in Total Knee Arthroplasty in Prachuapkirikhan Hospital

Abstract

Total knee arthroplasty is a major orthopaedic operation that involves in significant blood loss. Clamping vacuum drain at post operation is the one method which can decrease blood loss. This randomized prospective study was to compare the effect of vacuum drain clamping for two hours at post operation of total knee arthroplasty and no clamping ofvacuum drain. 90 patients who underwent primary knee arthroplasty during October 2007 and February 2010 were enrolled and randomized into 45 patients each of the drain clamping for two hours and non clamping groups . The result of the study found the mean external blood loss in the drain clamping group was significantly less than the non clamping group. The hematocrit of the drain clamping group was more decrease than the non clamping group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in postoperative range of motion and complications such as hypotension, wound infections.