Evaluating Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols Compared to Conventional Treatment for Patients Aged 50 to 70 Undergoing Total Knee Replacement

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery ERAS protocols in patients aged 50 to 70 undergoing total knee arthroplasty TKA for advanced knee osteoarthritis. This trial aims to assess how ERAS protocols affect surgical and functional outcomes compared to conventional treatment, especially in a low to middle-income country setting. The study is a prospective randomized controlled trial with triple masking, conducted by Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups one receiving conventional treatment protocols and the other managed by the ERAS protocol. The ERAS approach includes preoperative physiotherapy, shortened fasting times, multimodal anesthesia, perioperative tranexamic acid, early mobilization, and early oral intake. The trial runs from July 2025 to January 2026, involving 239 patients aged 50 to 70 with American Society of Anesthesiologists grades I to III. During the study, participants will be monitored for time to oral intake, postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to mobilization, length of hospital stay, range of motion, and scores on the Hospital for Special Surgery assessment. The primary outcomes focus on the time to resume oral intake and the length of hospital stay, with follow-up averaging one year. This comprehensive monitoring aims to understand the impact of ERAS protocols on recovery after total knee replacement.

ERAS in Total Knee Arthroplasty: a Randomized Controlled Trial