Comparison of complications in one-stage bilateral total knee arthroplasty with and without drainage

PURPOSE: The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the complication rates of one-stage bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with and without drainage in order to identify whether there was no clinical significance and the value of drainage. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on bilateral TKA with and without drainage were identified via a search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Wanfang databases, and Google Scholar, which were published up to May 2014. Methodological quality was assessed by the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. After data extraction, we compared the outcomes using fixed-effects or random-effects models depending on the heterogeneity. RESULTS: Three RCTs involving 125 one-stage bilateral TKA patients with an average follow-up of 14 months met the predetermined inclusion criteria. There were 56 total complications in TKA without drainage and 17 with drainage. Except for less erythema and ecchymosis around the wound in the drainage group, there were no statistical differences in wound healing, wound infection, swelling, and deep vein thrombosis in one-stage bilateral TKA with and without drainage. CONCLUSION: The current evidences confirm that both drainage and non-drainage have similar clinical value in one-stage bilateral TKA. However, the conclusion should be used with caution due to the limitations of the current study.