Decreased blood transfusion following revision total knee arthroplasty using tranexamic acid

Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been used successfully in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to minimize blood loss and transfusions. The purpose of this study is to determine its efficacy in patients undergoing revision TKA. In a retrospective review of 111 patients (68 control and 43 TXA), treatment patients receiving a single intravenous TXA dose of 10mg/kg required less transfusions (P=0.03) and less total blood units consumed than controls (P=0.03). When stratified by type of revision, treatment patients undergoing femoral and tibial component revision had lower transfusion rates than the controls (P=0.03). Given the drawbacks of allogenic blood transfusion, we highly recommend the use of TXA in revision TKA, especially when both components are being revised.