Comparison of Floseal (R) and Tranexamic Acid for Bleeding Control after Total Knee Arthroplasty: a Prospective Randomized Study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Tranexamic acid (TXA) and the hemostatic agent Floseal (R) have already been used to minimize bleeding during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomized study of 90 patients with indications for TKA. Following inclusion, the participants were randomly allocated in blocks to the following 3 groups: control, Floseal (R) and TXA. Bleeding parameters, including decreases in hemoglobin (Hb), drain output, number of blood transfusions and complications, were assessed. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02152917. RESULTS: The mean decrease in Hb was highest in the control group (4.81 +/- 1.09 g/dL), followed by the Floseal (R) (3.5 +/- 1.03 g/dL) and TXA (3.03 +/- 1.2 g/dL) groups. The Floseal (R) and TXA groups did not differ, and both performed better than the control group. The mean total drain output was 901.3 +/- 695.7 mL in the control group, 546.5 +/- 543.5 mL in the TXA group and 331.2 +/- 278.7 mL in the Floseal (R) group. Both TXA and Floseal (R) had significantly less output than the control group, and Floseal (R) had significantly less output than TXA. The number of blood transfusions was very small in all 3 groups. CONCLUSION: The use of TXA or Floseal (R) was associated with less blood loss than that of the control group among patients undergoing primary TKA, as measured both directly (intraoperative bleeding + drainage) and on the basis of a decrease in Hb, without differences in the rate of complications. TXA and Floseal (R) showed similar decreases in Hb and total measured blood loss, but the drain output was smaller in the Floseal (R) group.