Tourniquet Use Improves Intraoperative Parameters, Leading to Similar Postoperative Outcomes Compared With No Tourniquet Use in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To examine the effect of tourniquet use in arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in terms of: (1) intraoperative visualization with operative time and consumption of sterile saline, and (2) intra- and postoperative blood loss, postoperative pain, opioid consumption, swelling, serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, clinical outcomes, and graft healing.

Methods: In this prospective randomized clinical trial, patients were assigned to tourniquet inflation (tourniquet-up) or tourniquet deflation (tourniquet-down) groups. Primary outcomes were intraoperative visualization with operative time and sterile saline consumption.