Enhanced wound recovery after surgery care in patients with total knee arthroplasty: A meta-analysis

This study primarily focussed on the impact of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) care on wound healing and pain management in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). TKA is the critical surgical intervention aimed at improving the quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis. While this procedure has been effective in enhancing mobility and life quality, postoperative phase, particularly wound healing, remains significant concern. This research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ERAS care protocols in promoting wound healing and reducing postoperative wound pain. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify studies focusing on wound healing and pain management in TKA patients under ERAS care. The systematic search employed various terms related to TKA, wound healing and ERAS. During the screening process, data relevant to wound healing outcomes were prioritized for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Using the R package 'meta', meta-analysis was performed on a sample of 664 patients, divided into 349 in the intervention group (ERAS care) and 315 in the control. The results indicated significant enhancement in wound healing and reduction in postoperative wound pain among patients receiving ERAS care (risk ratio [RR] = 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9152; 1.3929, p < 0.01). Additionally, pain score analysis across the studies revealed that the ERAS group consistently experienced less wound pain postoperatively compared with the control, with average of 0.1 point difference in pain scores indicating significantly less pain. Conclusively, our findings underscored the importance of implementing structured ERAS care protocols in TKA procedures. These protocols not only alleviated postoperative wound pain but also promoted effective wound healing, thereby potentially enhancing overall recovery and surgical outcomes for patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA.