• Camilo Partezani Helito, Jader Joel Machado Junqueira, Ricardo Gomes Gobbi, Fábio Janson Angelini, Marcia Uchoa Rezende, Luis Eduardo Passarelli Tírico, Marco Kawamura Demange, Roberto Freire da Mota e Albuquerque, José Ricardo Pécora, and Gilberto Luis Camanho.
• Knee Surgery Department, Orthopaedic and Traumatology Institute, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
• Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2014 Nov 1; 69 (11): 735-9.

ObjectivesHealing is an event that is fundamental to the success of total knee arthroplasty. The aims of the present study were to compare the rates of complications related to wound healing between two groups of volunteers submitted to total knee arthroplasty and to evaluate the effects of postoperative oxygen supplementation by means of a nasal catheter.MethodA total of 109 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were randomized into two groups, namely, groups that did and did not receive postoperative oxygen supplementation via a nasal catheter. The surgical wound was monitored every day during the hospital stay and on the 7th, 14th, 21st, 30th and 42nd postoperative days. Characteristics related to healing were observed, including hyperemia, dehiscence, necrosis, phlyctenules and deep and superficial infection.ResultsThere were no cases of deep infection. Hyperemia was statistically correlated with the total number of complications in the groups, with oxygen demonstrated to be a protective factor against hyperemia. Approximately 30% of the patients who exhibited hyperemia had other complications, independent of oxygen supplementation.ConclusionOxygen supplementation following total knee arthroplasty was shown to be effective in diminishing hyperemia around the operative wound. The development of hyperemia was a precursor to other complications, irrespective of whether oxygen supplementation was used.

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