Tranexamic Acid Led to Improved Safety of Total Knee Arthroplasty in Jehovah's Witness Patients: A Multicentered Matched Study.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the safety of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in Jehovah's Witness patients compared to non-Jehovah's Witness patients using standard perioperative TKA protocols and assess the role of tranexamic acid (TXA) in managing blood loss in this population.

METHODS

Patients undergoing TKA between 2011 and 2021 at 2 tertiary academic centers were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, preoperative and postoperative hematologic laboratory values, intraoperative TXA use, 90-day postoperative complications, and subsequent revisions were collected. These variables were then compared between propensity score-matched cohorts at a 2:1 ratio of those who did not identify as Jehovah's Witness to those who did. Regression analysis was used to determine the effect of intraoperative TXA on hemoglobin (hgb) shift.

RESULTS

After applying exclusion criteria and matching, the TKA outcomes of 316 non-Jehovah's Witness patients and 152 Jehovah's Witness patients were analyzed. Univariate analysis suggested that non-Jehovah's Witness patients and Jehovah's Witness patients had similar preoperative and postoperative hgb, hgb shift, and hematocrit. Only 1 (0.8%) Jehovah's Witness patient reached an hgb < 8.0 mg/dL postoperatively. Multivariate logistic regression suggested that Jehovah's Witness patients did not have increased odds of reaching an hgb < 8.0 mg/dL (odds ratio = 0.99 [0.96, 1.02]; P = 0.42). Multivariate linear regression suggested that intraoperative TXA was positively correlated with hgb shift and thus a smaller decrease in hgb from pre-TKA to post-TKA (β = 0.38 [0.06, 0.69]; P = 0.02). Additionally, Jehovah's Witness patients had excellent revision-free (95% [91, 99]) and infection-free (98% [95, 100]) survival at 8 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Standard perioperative TKA protocols are safe for Jehovah's Witness patients who do not have the need for transfusion, especially with appropriate preoperative hgb levels and the use of intraoperative TXA. Furthermore, these patients have excellent survivorship at 5 and 8 years of follow-up.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.