SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2016
No clear benefit or drawback to the use of closed drainage after primary total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 35 citations in OpenAlex.
- Management of cervical spine tuberculosis in pediatrics: a systematic review.Spine deformity · 2026Pooled it
- Reduction of Blood Loss by Intra-articular Injection of Tranexamic Acid Combined with Knee and Hip Flexion at 45° During Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Orthopaedic surgery · 2020Trial
- Drainage relieves pain without increasing post-operative blood loss in high tibial osteotomy: a prospective randomized controlled study.International orthopaedics · 2020Trial
- Role of Suction Drain after Knee Arthroplasty in the Tranexamic Acid Era: A Randomized Controlled Study.Clinics in orthopedic surgery · 2019Trial
- Tranexamic acid in primary total knee arthroplasty without tourniquet: a randomized, controlled trial of oral versus intravenous versus topical administration.Scientific reports · 2018Trial
- Clinic and Ultrasound Evaluation of Suction Drainage in Total Knee Arthroplasty Procedure: A Multicentric Prospective Trial.Indian journal of orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Blood loss, complications, and the role of suction drains in shoulder arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.JSES international · 2025Review
- Early ambulation after total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective single-center study.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2024Article
- The past and future of peri-operative interventions to reduce arthrogenic quadriceps muscle inhibition after total knee arthroplasty: A narrative review.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2024Review
- Key Elements of Enhanced Recovery after Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Reanalysis of the Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Guidelines.Orthopaedic surgery · 2023Review
- Avoiding Sepsis After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Be Gentle, Vigilant, and Proactive.Arthroplasty today · 2022Article
- The usage of drainage after primary total hip or knee arthroplasty: best evidence selection and risk of bias considerations.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2021Review
- Efficacy of postoperative drainage in total knee arthroplasty: Review of the literature.Orthopedic reviews · 2020Article
- CORR® International - Asia-Pacific: Moving from University to Private Practice.Clinical orthopaedics and related research · 2019Article
- Perioperative Blood Management Strategies for Total Knee Arthroplasty.Orthopaedic surgery · 2018Review
- A Comparison of the Postoperative Complications between Two Drainage Methods after Total Knee Arthroplasty.The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2018Article
- Correlations between inflammatory cytokines, muscle damage markers and acute postoperative pain following primary total knee arthroplasty.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundClosed drainage after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been used routinely for many decades, but controversies have arisen in recent years. The purposes of this study were to compare the clinical outcomes of closed drainage with nondrainage after primary TKA; and to assess the benefit and drawback of closed drainage.
methodsElectronic databases (PubMed/Medline, CENTRAL, Embase and Web of Science) were systematically searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the efficacy and risks of closed drainage after primary TKA. Two investigators independently reviewed studies for eligibility, assessed the risk of bias and extracted the data. A meta-analysis was then performed using Review Manager Software.
resultsTwelve RCTs totalling 889 TKAs were identified. No significant differences in infection rate or blood loss were found between the closed drainage and nondrainage TKAs, and there was also no significant difference in haematoma formation, deep venous thrombosis, postoperative VAS score or range of motion between the two groups.
conclusionsThere appears to be no clear benefit or drawback to the use of closed drainage after primary TKA. Improving the use of closed drainage might provide better outcomes.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.