A comparison of operative field space between sterile single use and re-useable pneumatic tourniquets in revision total knee arthroplasty

Adequate operative field space minimises potential complications during revision knee arthroplasty. The colonisation rate of pneumatic re-useable devices reported to be 68-78%, other devices should be considered in the revision knee surgery setting. Sterile single use tourniquets devices (Heamaclear® /S-MARTTM, OHK Medical Devices, Haifa, Israel) have colonisation rates of 0%. This study assesses the operative field clearance between the two devices and discusses the potential benefits for reducing infection in revision knee surgery. At the time of revision knee replacement, the operative field space was measured using both pneumatic and sterile single use tourniquets. The measurements were taken once the components had been explanted. The average operative field space increase using a sterile single use tourniquet compared to a multi-use pneumatic device was 8.98 cm [CI95% 7.1-10.8 cm], p<0.001 (p=0.00034). It is recommended that sterile single use tourniquets are safe and are a useful tool for surgeons facilitating ease of revision knee surgery.