Impact of drainage tube placement strategies on early pain and joint range of motion after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

WANG Bin; ZHANG Hongliang; FAN Zhiyong; HUANG Feiyang; ZHANG Hua

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1002-3429.2025.21.013

Abstract：Objective To analyze the impact of the application of drainage tubes on the early pain and knee joint range of motion(ROM)of patients after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty(UKA).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 98 patients with osteoarthritis who underwent UKA from June 2018 to June 2024.According to whether drainage tubes were placed during the operation,they were divided into the observation group(n=53)and the control group(n=45).In the observation group,drainage tubes were placed during UKA,while in the control group,no drainage tubes were placed during UKA.The general data of the two groups were compared.The ROM of the knee joint at 3 d,7 d and 1 month after the operation,Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)pain scores at 1,3,and 7 d after the operation,knee joint function at 7 d,1 month and 3 months after the operation were compared between the two groups.The incidence of postoperative complications in the two groups was statistically analyzed.Results The ROM of the knee joint in the observation group was better than that in the control group at 3 and 7 d after the operation(P<0.01).The VAS pain scores of the observation group at 1 and 3 d after the operation were lower than those of the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01).The Hospital for Special Surgery(HSS)knee score of the observation group at 7 d after the operation was higher than that of the control group(P<0.01).There was no significant difference in the comparison of postoperative complications and the total incidence between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion Drainage tube placement after UKA can effectively promote early functional recovery,improve ROM of the joint and alleviate pain,without increasing postoperative complications.