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Outcome After Total Knee Arthroplasty Under General or Spinal Anesthesia

Outcome After Total Knee Arthroplasty Under General or Spinal Anesthesia, a Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03364088
Enrollment
402
Registered
2017-12-06
Start date
2016-10-03
Completion date
2019-12-03
Last updated
2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Anesthesia, Arthropathy of Knee Joint, Knee Osteoarthritis, Knee Pain Chronic, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Keywords

Total knee arthroplasty, Anesthesia, Surgical tourniquet, Pain, Postoperative nausea and vomiting, Quality of life, Length of stay, Knee function, Bioelectrical impedance, Knee endoprosthesis

Brief summary

Previous retrospective database studies suggest that total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery under spinal anesthesia has less complications than when performed under general anesthesia. In general, complications are rare and both anesthesia types are widely accepted. In Finland, total knee arthroplasty has typically been performed under spinal anesthesia. In a recent prospective randomized controlled study, total knee arthroplasty under general anesthesia resulted in less acute postoperative pain (opioid-need measured by patient-controlled anesthesia), less nausea, and faster hospital discharge than that performed under spinal anesthesia. Also the use of surgical tourniquet can affect surgical outcome: it may reduce bleeding and surgery time, but it may also cause weakness of thigh muscles and thus hinder mobilization. In a recent study, both techniques with and without surgical tourniquet appeared equal. The aims of this study are to compare total knee arthroplasty under spinal or general anesthesia, with or without surgical tourniquet, in relation to acute and chronic postoperative pain, nausea, knee function, patient reported quality of life and satisfaction on care, complications, length of stay, and need of surgical unit resources. This randomized controlled study includes 400 patients with informed consent, 18-75-years-of-age, standard primary total knee arthroplasty operation, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) physical status classification I-III, body mass index under 40, and no contraindications for medications or treatments used. The hypothesis of this study are used to reassess best practices of primary total knee arthroplasty operation to enhance quality of care, patient outcomes and satisfaction, and availability of surgery due to better patient flow at surgical unit.

Interventions

PROCEDURESpinal anesthesia with tourniquet

Operation is done under spinal anesthesia and surgical tourniquet is used.

PROCEDURESpinal anesthesia without tourniquet

Operation is done under spinal anesthesia and without the use of surgical tourniquet.

PROCEDUREGeneral anesthesia with tourniquet

Operation is done under general anesthesia and surgical tourniquet is used.

PROCEDUREGeneral anesthesia without tourniquet

Operation is done under general anesthesia and without the use of surgical tourniquet.

DRUGOxycodone by patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)

PCA device (CADD Legacy PCA Pump, Smiths Medical, Kent, UK) is programmed to give intravenous oxycodone in doses of 0.04 mg/kg (ideal body weight). The minimum time between doses is set to 10 minutes and no more than 4 doses per hour are allowed.

Sponsors

Helsinki University Central Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Helsinki
CollaboratorOTHER
Finland
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Riku Antero Palanne
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Indication for total knee arthroplasty exists (patient has osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or other disease affecting knee joint that does not respond to conservative treatment) * Patient understands the study information and is willing to participate * Triathlon endoprosthesis is suitable for patient * ASA Physical Status Classification 1-3 * Patient will be operated by a surgeon who has done at least 100 total knee arthroplasty procedures with Triathlon endoprosthesis before

Exclusion criteria

* BMI \> 40 kg/m2 * ASA Physical Status Classification \> 3 * Valgus or varus \> 15° degrees in the knee that will be operated * Extension deficit ≥ 20° or flexion ≤ 90° in the knee that will be operated * Earlier major (open) surgery in the knee that will be operated * Contraindication for drugs used in the study * Contraindication for either spinal or general anesthesia * Glomerular filtration rate \< 60ml/min/1.73m2 (by Chronic Kidney DIsease Epidemiology Collaboration formula) * Known or suspected disease affecting the function of liver * Preoperative use of strong opioids * Patient is pregnant, cognitively disabled, under guardianship, a prisoner or in compulsory military service * Patient will be operated by a surgeon who has done less than 100 total knee arthroplasty procedures before or by a surgeon who does not operate with Triathlon endoprosthesis * Day of the surgery is not suitable for study (no research personnel available for 24 hours postoperative evaluation)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Opioid consumption24 hours postoperativeCumulative intravenous oxycodone consumption By patient controlled analgesia (PCA) 24 hours postoperative.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Postoperative nauseaan average of 0-3 hours and 24 hours postoperativePatient reported nausea by numerical rating scale (NRS; a whole number from 0 to10 where 0 = no nausea and 10 = worst possible nausea) before transferring from recovery room to surgical ward and 24 hours postoperative.
Medications given for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV)an average of 2 to 3 days postoperativeThe number of medications given for PONV during postoperative hospital stay.
Chronic postoperative painan average of 1-2 weeks preoperative, 3 and 12 months postoperativeDifferences in Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI-SF) questionnaires self-reported By patients preoperatively and 3 and 12 months postoperatively.
Predictive value of chronic pain risk indexan average of 1-2 weeks preoperative and 24 hours, 3 months and 12 months postoperative4 out of 5 risk factors described by Althaus et al. are asked during preoperative visit and 1 out of 5 risk factors will be assessed 24 hours postoperative. These results will be compared to results from BPI-SF questionnaires.
Knee functionan average of 1-2 weeks preoperative, 3 and 12 months postoperativeDifferences in Oxford knee score (OKS) questionnaires self-reported By patients preoperatively and 3 and 12 months postoperatively.
Self-reported quality of lifean average of 1-2 weeks preoperative, 3 and 12 months postoperativeDifferences in 15-dimensional, generic, standardized, self-administered measure of health-related quality of life (15D) questionnaires self-reported by patients preoperatively and 3 and 12 months postoperatively.
Acute postoperative pain24 hours postoperativePatient reported pain (supine at rest, with knee straight and hip in 45 degrees flexion, with knee at 45 degrees flexion and after walking 5 meters) by numerical rating scale (NRS; a whole number from 0 to10 where 0 = no pain and 10 = worst possible pain) 24 hours postoperative.
Times at the operation unitfrom operating room to end of treatment in recovery room, an average of 3-5 hoursTime (in minutes) spent for managing anesthesia and surgery, in the operating room and in the recovery room. Information is gathered from electrical anesthesia management program.
Need for rescue analgesiaFrom recovery room to the end of hospital stay, an average of 2-3 daysProportion of patients needing rescue analgesia in form of medications and regional anesthetic techniques outside the study protocol during the postoperative hospital stay.
Need for vasoactive medications, urine catheter and ventilatory supportintraoperative - an average of 2-3 daysProportion of patients needing vasoactive medications intra- or postoperatively and patients needing urine catheter or ventilatory support postoperatively.
Bleeding3 months to 1 day preoperative, intraoperative, 15-24 hours postoperativeThe amount of bleeding during the operation and the change in blood hemoglobin level.
Complications12 months postoperativeRecorded complications derived from patient information systems up to 12 months postoperative.
Hospital length of stayan average of 2 to 3 days up to 3 monthsTime from the start of operation to the time when patient meets the hospital discharge criteria and time when patient is actually discharged.
Patient satisfaction and self-reported complications3 and 12 months postoperativeA patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) questionnaire made for this study including 10 questions about patient satisfaction and possible complications at 3 and 12 months postoperatively.

Countries

Finland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 22, 2026