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Do patients benefit from tourniquet in arthroscopic surgeries of the knee?

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy volume 21, pages 1125–1130 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

To undertake a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to determine whether routine use of a tourniquet is a better choice for knee arthroscopic procedures.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials which evaluated the application of a tourniquet were selected, gathering information about arthroscopic visualization and operative time. The random-effects meta-analysis was performed using relative risk calculated from the raw data.

Results

A total of five eligible studies were selected in this meta-analysis with 471 participants. There was no significant difference in visualization or operative time between the tourniquet and the non-tourniquet group.

Conclusions

There is insufficient evidence to support the hypothesis that patients would benefit from routinely applying a tourniquet. The use of a tourniquet did not show any advantage to arthroscopic procedures.

Level of evidence

Therapeutic randomized controlled trials, Level I.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China

    Yang Zhang, Jian Wang, Zhi-han Li & Zhan-jun Shi

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China

    Le Li

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  1. Yang Zhang
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  2. Le Li
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  3. Jian Wang
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  4. Zhi-han Li
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  5. Zhan-jun Shi
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Correspondence to Zhan-jun Shi.

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Zhang, Y., Li, L., Wang, J. et al. Do patients benefit from tourniquet in arthroscopic surgeries of the knee?. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 21, 1125–1130 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-2094-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-2094-3

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