Practice Trends in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty among Members of the Iranian Society of Knee Surgery, Arthroscopy, and Sports Traumatology.

Abstract

Objectives: The survey conducted at the 2024 biennial meeting of the Iranian Society of Knee Surgery, Arthroscopy, and Sports Traumatology (ISKAST) aimed to assess practice trends among ISKAST members in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA), thereby providing a benchmark for future studies.

Methods: The session moderator presented multiple-choice questions via an audience response system to 94 registered ISKAST members. Responses were collected centrally and subsequently displayed to the audience after a brief interval.

Results: The survey revealed that most ISKAST surgeons, reflecting their high level of expertise, work in diverse settings, with more than half performing over 100 TKAs annually. Regarding perioperative management, the majority of respondents utilize spinal anesthesia and tranexamic acid, with a significant number applying tourniquets during surgery. The median parapatellar approach and posterior cruciate-substituting designs are commonly preferred for routine TKA procedures. Additionally, pain management is primarily achieved through patient-controlled analgesia, while low-molecular-weight heparin, combined with mechanical measures, is the most common method for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Although follow-up practices vary, the majority of surgeons schedule annual postoperative visits.

Conclusion: The survey results provide valuable insights into the approaches of knee surgeons in Iran toward TKA, highlighting both common practices and variations in treatment methods. While these findings reflect current practices, they may not represent the most optimal techniques. This underscores the need for further research to validate these results and explore their applicability to a broader patient population.