Ankle Arthroscopy Without Tourniquet: A Mid-Term Follow-Up

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Background:

• Ankle arthroscopy is frequently performed with a tourniquet.
• Previous studies indicated feasibility and comparable short-term outcomes without a tourniquet.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate mid-term (60-month) functional outcomes of anterior ankle arthroscopy performed with and without a tourniquet.
• To assess patient satisfaction and complications at the 5-year follow-up.

Main Methods:

• A 5-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial comparing anterior ankle arthroscopy with and without tourniquet use.
• Assessment using established functional scores, Munich Ankle Questionnaire (MAQ), and Abdelatif questionnaire for patient satisfaction.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in mid-term functional outcomes or MAQ scores between tourniquet and non-tourniquet groups.
• Functional outcomes remained stable from 6-month to 5-year follow-up.
• High patient satisfaction reported in both groups with no new complications.

Conclusions:

• Anterior ankle arthroscopy can be safely performed without a tourniquet, demonstrating no negative impact on mid-term functional outcomes.
• Tourniquet use does not appear to influence patient satisfaction at 5 years post-surgery.