The Effects of a Tourniquet in Total Knee Arthroplasty.

About 5000 total knee arthroplasties (TKA) are performed annually in Norway. Pain and reduced physical function is present in patients operated with TKA up to a year after surgery and about one of five patients are not satisfied with the outcome from TKA surgery. The use of tourniquet during surgery may also have impact on pain and physical function. Whether TKA surgery should be performed with or without the use of tourniquet, is a much-debated issue in orthopedic surgery today, and there is still no consensus in this field. This study will investigate early muscle strength and power recovery, neuromuscular recordings, neuronal changes and patient reported outcome measures after surgery with tourniquet versus not tourniquet.The findings in this study are expected to have implications for rehabilitation and the outcome of the TKA surgery.