Tourniquet Vs. No-Tourniquet Technique in Total Knee Arthroplasty at the University Hospital of the West Indies
Key facts
- Who runs it
- The University of The West Indies
- Where
- Kingston, JamaicaSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- People taking part
- 30 people, planned
- Started
- Jun 2026
- Expected to end
- Sept 2027
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- pneumatic tourniquet
- Record updated
- 1 April 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 2 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- • Age ≥ 18 years; Clinical and radiographic diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis requiring primary unilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty; Medically fit for elective surgery (typically ASA I-III); Able to provide informed consent
Who cannot take part
- • Revision TKA or bilateral simultaneous TKA; Preexisting coagulopathy or active anticoagulation that cannot be perioperatively managed per protocol; Known allergy or contraindication to tranexamic acid; Active infection or immunosuppression; Severe peripheral vascular disease in the operative limb; BMI > 45 kg/m²; Inability to provide informed consent or comply with follow-up
Where in Jamaica
- University Hospital of the West IndiesKingston, JamaicaContact: Dominic Landell, MBBSNo longer taking part
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether performing total knee replacement surgery (total knee arthroplasty, TKA) without a tourniquet is clinically equivalent to performing the procedure with a tourniquet in adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.
Read full original descriptionShow less
A tourniquet is commonly used during surgery to reduce bleeding and improve the surgeon's view. However, some studies suggest it may be associated with certain complications. It is currently unclear whether using a tourniquet meaningfully changes outcomes compared to not using one. This study aims to assess whether both approaches result in similar outcomes within a clinically acceptable range.
The main question this study aims to answer is:
Is total blood loss during surgery equivalent between TKA performed with a tourniquet and TKA performed without a tourniquet, within a predefined margin of ±100 mL?
Additional questions include:
Are surgical field quality, postoperative pain, functional recovery, and complication rates comparable between the two techniques?
Researchers will compare:
TKA performed with a pneumatic tourniquet TKA performed without a tourniquet
to determine whether outcomes between the two approaches are equivalent rather than whether one is superior to the other.
Participants will:
Be randomly assigned to one of the two surgical groups using a computer-generated process Undergo standard total knee replacement surgery and routine perioperative care Have blood loss assessed during and after surgery Be monitored for pain, recovery of function, wound healing, and complications during hospital stay and follow-up visits
This study is designed as a randomized controlled equivalence trial to determine whether both surgical approaches produce comparable outcomes within clinically acceptable limits, in a standardized local setting.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Tourniquet GroupExisting treatment, for comparison
Total knee arthroplasty performed with the use of a pneumatic tourniquet throughout the entire procedure
Treatment: pneumatic tourniquet
- No-Tourniquet GroupNo study treatment, for comparison
Total knee arthroplasty performed without the use of a pneumatic tourniquet
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Is Routine Tourniquet Use Still Warranted? A Randomized Controlled Equivalence Trial Comparing Tourniquet Vs. No-Tourniquet Technique in Total Knee Arthroplasty at the University Hospital of the West Indies
- Record updated
- 1 April 2026