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Swelling Management in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review
Luke McGarry1,2,3, Jack Kearney1,3, Jessica Rotaru1,3
1Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia.
Background:
Postoperative swelling is a common complication after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), associated with pain, limited mobility, and delayed recovery. This study aimed to systematically review the literature on interventions that reduce postoperative swelling, categorized into preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases.
Methods:
A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-compliant search of PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases was performed for clinical studies evaluating interventions to reduce swelling after primary TKA. Data were grouped by intervention timing. Methodological quality was appraised using the Modified Jadad Score, Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies, and AMSTAR 2 tools.
Results:
A total of 140 clinical studies were included, encompassing 7 meta-analyses, 125 randomized controlled trials, and 8 cohort studies. Tranexamic acid (TXA) was the most consistently effective intervention, particularly in repeated or combined regimens. Avoiding or limiting tourniquet (TQ) use, maintaining postoperative knee flexion (30°-90° for 6-72 hours), and applying cryotherapy during the first 2 weeks were consistently associated with reduced swelling. Other promising strategies included prehabilitation, aspirin cessation, cold intra-articular irrigation, mechanical compression, and adjunctive therapies like diosmin, acupuncture, and kinesiotaping. Interventions such as manual lymphatic drainage, continuous passive movement, and static compression bandaging showed inconsistent or no significant effects.
Conclusion:
Several perioperative strategies reduce postoperative swelling after TKA, with the strongest evidence supporting TXA, TQ minimization, knee flexion, and cryotherapy. These findings should inform the design of multimodal enhanced recovery protocols optimized for swelling management. Future research should prioritize standardized outcome reporting and assess synergistic effects of combined interventions.
Level Of Evidence:
Level I, systematic review. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
