The Journal of arthroplasty
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Comparative Study
Bilateral vs unilateral total knee arthroplasty: a patient-based comparison of pain levels and recovery of ambulatory skills.
Two important questions remain in simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Is bilateral TKA significantly more painful and is physical recovery significantly more difficult compared with unilateral TKA? A retrospective matched-pair analysis compared 59 bilateral and 59 unilateral TKA patients based on age, sex, diagnosis, surgeon, and surgery date. Analog pain scores, narcotic use, ambulatory distances, and rehabilitative milestones were recorded. ⋯ Narcotic use was 20% higher for the first 48 hours but equalized after that period. Ambulatory milestones lagged behind by 36 hours. Patients wishing to pursue bilateral TKA can proceed without pain, use of narcotics, and walking distance significantly different than unilateral TKA.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Preoperative epoetin alfa vs autologous blood donation in primary total knee arthroplasty.
This prospective randomized trial compared preoperative autologous blood donation (PAD) with epoetin alfa in patients undergoing primary total knee reconstruction. Fifty adult patients with pretreatment hemoglobin level of 100 to 130 g/L were randomized to either epoetin alfa 40,000 U at preoperative days 14 and 7 or to a standard PAD protocol. Patient characteristics and operative blood loss were similar between groups. ⋯ There was no significant difference in the incidence of allogeneic transfusions between groups (28% for epoetin alfa vs 8% for PAD; P = .1383). Both treatments were generally well tolerated. Epoetin alfa appears to be a safe alternative to PAD in patients who are at risk for transfusion in the perioperative period following total knee arthroplasty.