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The effect of topical tranexamic acid on functional outcomes and quality of life in patients undergoing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

  • Knee Arthroplasty
  • Published:
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is being increasingly utilized to reduce blood loss after knee joint arthroplasty. However, there is a lack of studies on the effect of topical TXA on the functional outcomes and quality of life after Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty (UKA). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of topical TXA on functional outcomes and quality of life scores in patients undergoing UKA.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively analysed patients undergoing unilateral UKA at a single tertiary hospital from 2005 to 2017. Patients were divided into 2 groups: (1) The control group which did not receive TXA (n = 742); (2) The TXA group which received topical TXA (n = 331). Functional outcomes were assessed using the Knee Society Function Score (KSFS), Knee Society Knee Score (KSKS) and Oxford Knee Score (OKS), while quality of life was evaluated with the Physical Component Score (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS) of Short-Form 36 (SF-36) preoperatively and at 6 months and 2 years follow-up.

Results

At 6 months and 2 years post-surgery, there were no significant differences in the functional scores between the groups. The number of patients who attained minimum clinically important difference (MCID) for each of the functional scores was also comparable between the groups.

Conclusions

In patients undergoing UKA, functional outcomes and quality of life scores were comparable between those who received topical TXA and those who did not. There was no significant improvement or impairment in knee function associated with topical TXA administration in UKA up to 2 years follow-up.

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Funding

This work was supported by the FY2017 SingHealth DUKE-NUS Musculoskeletal Sciences Academic Clinical Programme Research Support Programme Grant [Project No.: 13/FY2017/P1/16-A30].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Block 6 Level 7, Outram Road, Singapore, 169608, Singapore

    Vikaesh Moorthy, Jerry Yongqiang Chen, Ming Han Lincoln Liow, Hee Nee Pang, Darren Keng-Jin Tay, Shi-Lu Chia, Ngai Nung Lo & Seng Jin Yeo

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  1. Vikaesh Moorthy
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All authors contributed in conceptualization; data curation; formal analysis; funding acquisition; investigation; methodology; project administration; resources; supervision; writing.

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Correspondence to Vikaesh Moorthy.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the Centralised Institutional Review Board (CIRB) (No. 2011/517/D). Institutional review board’s approval (IRB reference: 2020/2309).

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Moorthy, V., Chen, J.Y., Liow, M.H.L. et al. The effect of topical tranexamic acid on functional outcomes and quality of life in patients undergoing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 143, 4395–4400 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-022-04711-y

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