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Updated: Aug 25, 2026
Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Culture and Delivery in Autologous Conditions: A Smart Approach for Orthopedic Applications
Published on: December 8, 2016
Autologous blood donation in total knee arthroplasties is not necessary
Urs Müller1, Christoph Röder, Markus Pisan
1Institute for Evaluative Research in Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Bern, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland. umueller@memced.org
Background:
This study intends to prove the hypothesis that preoperative autologous blood donation in total knee arthroplasties (TKA) is dispensable.
Patients And Methods:
The study comprises a prospective analysis of 81 consecutive TKA without preoperative autologous blood donation (AB-donation). Guidelines for blood retransfusion were used. Surgery, as well as the pre- and postoperative procedures were identical for each patient. In the analysis of the data, the consecutive TKAs were divided into patients who were eligible for preoperative autologous blood donation (group 1, n = 46) and those with relevant risk factors not permitting preoperative autologous blood donation (group 2, n = 35).
Results:
None of the patients in group 1 needed a blood transfusion. 14 of 35 patients in group 2 needed an allogenic blood transfusion.
Interpretation:
Total knee arthroplasty can be managed without preoperative AB-donation if it is performed using a tourniquet, if a postoperative collection and direct retransfusion system is used for the wound blood, and if the transfusion algorithm is defined according to compulsory and practical guidelines.
