Study the Anti-inflammatory Effect of Tranexamic Acid When Used in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Summary

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is widely used in orthopedic surgery to reduce perioperative blood loss, particularly in total hip and knee arthroplasty, due to its antifibrinolytic mechanism, low cost, broad availability, and established safety profile. Its use has recently expanded to minimally invasive procedures such as knee arthroscopy and ACL reconstruction, where postoperative hemarthrosis-rather than intraoperative bleeding-is a major cause of pain, swelling, reduced range of motion, delayed rehabilitation, and impaired early recovery. Randomized trials and meta-analyses in arthroscopic ACL reconstruction show that TXA, administered intravenously, intra-articularly, or both, reduces postoperative hemarthrosis, joint swelling, drainage volume, and early pain, while improving early functional outcomes. These benefits are mainly short term, with no consistent long-term differences, and no increased risk of thromboembolic events. Evidence in arthroscopic meniscectomy is more limited but suggests modest improvements in early recovery, which may still be clinically meaningful given TXA's favorable risk-benefit profile. Beyond its antifibrinolytic effects, TXA may influence inflammatory pathways by inhibiting plasmin, which is involved in complement activation and inflammatory modulation. However, existing data are conflicting, with reports of both anti- and pro-inflammatory effects depending on surgical context and dosing. Importantly, most arthroscopy studies focus on clinical outcomes rather than systemic inflammation. To date, no study has comprehensively evaluated perioperative inflammatory responses to TXA in arthroscopic knee surgery, making this low-trauma setting an ideal model to investigate its potential inflammatory effects.

Timeline

Start

2026-01-20

Primary completion

2026-06-01

Completion

2026-06-01

Publications

• Background Prudovsky I, Kacer D, Zucco VV, Palmeri M, Falank C, Kramer R, Carter D, Rappold J. Tranexamic acid: Beyond antifibrinolysis. Transfusion. 2022 Aug;62 Suppl 1:S301-S312. doi: 10.1111/trf.16976. Epub 2022 Jul 14.
• Background Alkhatib N, AlNouri M, Abdullah ASA, Ahmad Alzobi OZ, Alkaramany E, Sasaki E, Ishibashi Y. Tranexamic Acid Use in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Decreases Bleeding Complications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Arthroscopy. 2022 Feb;38(2):506-518.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2021.07.030. Epub 2021 Aug 4.
• Background Grant AL, Letson HL, Morris JL, McEwen P, Hazratwala K, Wilkinson M, Dobson GP. Tranexamic acid is associated with selective increase in inflammatory markers following total knee arthroplasty (TKA): a pilot study. J Orthop Surg Res. 2018 Jun 18;13(1):149. doi: 10.1186/s13018-018-0855-5.
• Background Johns WL, Walley KC, Hammoud S, Gonzalez TA, Ciccotti MG, Patel NK. Tranexamic Acid in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Am J Sports Med. 2021 Dec;49(14):4030-4041. doi: 10.1177/0363546521988943. Epub 2021 Feb 25.
• Background Fried JW, Bloom DA, Hurley ET, Baron SL, Popovic J, Campbell KA, Strauss EJ, Jazrawi LM, Alaia MJ. Tranexamic Acid Has No Effect on Postoperative Hemarthrosis or Pain Control After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Autograft: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial. Arthroscopy. 2021 Jun;37(6):1883-1889. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2021.01.037. Epub 2021 Jan 30.
• Background Hetsroni I. Tranexamic Acid During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Reduced Drained Blood Volume on Day 1 and Hemarthrosis Up to Day 15 but Did Not Improve Clinical Outcomes at 3 Months. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2019 Aug 21;101(16):1516. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.19.00514. No abstract available.
• Background Goldstein K, Jones C, Kay J, Shin J, de Sa D. Tranexamic Acid Administration in Arthroscopic Surgery Is a Safe Adjunct to Decrease Postoperative Pain and Swelling: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Arthroscopy. 2022 Apr;38(4):1366-1377.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2021.10.001. Epub 2021 Oct 14.
• Background Mousavi H, Akbari-Aghdam H, Entezari R. The effect of tranexamic acid injection during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery on postoperative bleeding, pain and swelling. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2023 Apr;33(3):639-644. doi: 10.1007/s00590-022-03318-8. Epub 2022 Jul 2.
• Background Ma R, Wu M, Li Y, Wang J, Wang W, Yang P, Wang K. The comparative efficacies of intravenous administration and intra-articular injection of tranexamic acid during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction for reducing postoperative hemarthrosis: a prospective randomized study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2021 Jan 26;22(1):114. doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-03990-7.
• Background Felli L, Revello S, Burastero G, Gatto P, Carletti A, Formica M, Alessio-Mazzola M. Single Intravenous Administration of Tranexamic Acid in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction to Reduce Postoperative Hemarthrosis and Increase Functional Outcomes in the Early Phase of Postoperative Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Arthroscopy. 2019 Jan;35(1):149-157. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2018.07.050.
• Background Cen L, Liu H, Li M, Zhang YF, Zhang HJ, Huang ZY. Intraoperative tranexamic acid reduces postoperative haemarthrosis and improves early functional outcomes in double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Orthop. 2024 Dec 10;65:51-56. doi: 10.1016/j.jor.2024.12.005. eCollection 2025 Jul.
• Background Tan TK, Ng KT, Lim HJ, Radic R. Effect of tranexamic acid in arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament repair: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2021 May-Aug;29(2):23094990211017352. doi: 10.1177/23094990211017352.
• Background Alaia MJ, Gipsman AM. Editorial Commentary: The Benefits of Tranexamic Acid May Outweigh Risks in Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine. Arthroscopy. 2021 Apr;37(4):1334-1336. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2021.01.027.
• Background Nugent M, May JH, Parker JD, Kieser DC, Douglas M, Pereira R, Lim KS, Hooper GJ. Does Tranexamic Acid Reduce Knee Swelling and Improve Early Function Following Arthroscopic Meniscectomy? A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. Orthop J Sports Med. 2019 Aug 29;7(8):2325967119866122. doi: 10.1177/2325967119866122. eCollection 2019 Aug.
• Background Na Y, Jia Y, Shi Y, Liu W, Han C, Hua Y. Administration of Tranexamic Acid to Reduce Intra-articular Hemarthrosis in ACL Reconstruction: A Systematic Review. Orthop J Sports Med. 2022 Jan 28;10(1):23259671211061726. doi: 10.1177/23259671211061726. eCollection 2022 Jan.
• Background Lei Y, Xie J, Huang Q, Huang W, Pei F. Additional benefits of multiple-dose tranexamic acid to anti-fibrinolysis and anti-inflammation in total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2020 Aug;140(8):1087-1095. doi: 10.1007/s00402-020-03442-2. Epub 2020 Apr 6.

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