Does the accelerometer-based navigation system reduce blood loss and transfusion in one-stage sequential bilateral total knee arthroplasty? A randomized double-blind controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is associated with significant blood loss and postoperative transfusion. The accelerometer-based navigation (ABN) system guides the bone cutting plane without breaching the intramedullary canal, which may reduce bleeding. This study aimed to investigate blood loss and transfusion compared between the ABN system and the conventional procedure in patients undergoing one-stage sequential bilateral TKA (SBTKA). METHODS: A total of 66 patients scheduled for SBTKA were randomly allocated to either the ABN or conventional group. Postoperative hematocrit (Hct) level, drainage blood loss, transfusion rate, and amount of packed red cell transfusion were collected. Total red blood cell (RBC) loss was then calculated for the primary outcome. RESULTS: The mean calculated total RBC loss in the ABN and conventional group was 669.7 and 630.0 mL, respectively (p = 0.572). There was no significant difference between groups for other evaluated outcome parameters, including postoperative Hct level, drainage blood loss, or packed red cell transfusion volume. All patients in the conventional group required postoperative blood transfusion while 96.8% of patients in the ABN group were transfused. CONCLUSIONS: The total RBC loss and volume of packed red cells transfusion were not significant difference between interventions, which suggest no benefit of the ABN system in reducing blood loss and transfusion in patients undergoing SBTKA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The protocol of this study was registered in the Thai Clinical Trials Registry database no. TCTR20201126002 on 26/11/2020.