Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery
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J Shoulder Elbow Surg · Aug 2020
Randomized Controlled TrialRandomized prospective evaluation of the use of tranexamic acid and effects on blood loss for proximal humeral fracture surgery.
Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic agent that has been used to reduce blood loss in orthopedic surgery. It has been shown to decrease blood loss in upper- and lower-extremity arthroplasty, as well as lower-extremity fracture surgery. The use of TXA for proximal humeral fracture surgery has yet to be evaluated. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of TXA on blood loss in patients undergoing open reduction-internal fixation (ORIF) or arthroplasty for the treatment of proximal humeral fractures. ⋯ TXA was effective in reducing total blood loss and led to a smaller preoperative-to-postoperative decrease in hemoglobin level compared with control in patients undergoing surgery for proximal humeral fractures. This effect was consistent in patients treated with either ORIF or arthroplasty as the surgical procedure. TXA can be used to decrease blood loss in the surgical treatment of proximal humeral fractures.