Comparison of postoperative morbidity between simultaneous bilateral and staged bilateral total knee arthroplasties: serological perspective and clinical consequences

Abstract

The present study compared simultaneous and two-staged (stages 1 and 2 with 8-month interval on average) bilateral TKAs in terms of postoperative serological status and clinical consequences. The decrease in hemoglobin over 2 weeks postoperatively was similar between groups. C-reactive protein levels and creatine phosphokinase index peaking on day 2 were significantly higher in the simultaneous group than in either staged group (P<0.05). Incidence of DVT on day 7 tended to be higher in the simultaneous group, but the difference was not significant. Considering the approximately 8-month interval and 2-month earlier functional recovery with stage 2 TKAs, 6 months were saved with the simultaneous bilateral TKA group. Collectively, simultaneous bilateral TKA is likely to offer a safe and effective procedure in appropriate clinical settings involving anti-bleeding and anti-venous thromboembolism prophylaxis.

Keywords: bilateral; postoperative morbidity; simultaneous; total knee arthroplasty.