Does tranexamic acid reduce blood loss for children undergoing reconstruction for neuromuscular hip dysplasia? A matched comparative study

Treatment for neuromuscular hip dysplasia (NMHD) typically involves osteotomies of the proximal femur and/or pelvis, and the potential for significant volume blood loss is high. Tranexamic acid (TXA) functions as an antifibinolytic and has been shown to reduce bleeding in many operative settings. Retrospective evidence for the use of TXA in children undergoing NMHD reconstruction is inconclusive, and to our knowledge, prospective evaluation has never been performed. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of TXA use on intra- and postoperative outcomes during bony reconstruction for NMHD. In this matched comparative study, a prospective cohort of patients undergoing bony reconstruction for NMHD who were given TXA was enrolled and then matched to a retrospective cohort who previously underwent the same surgery without administration of TXA. The primary outcome variable was a change in perioperative hemoglobin values from preoperative to 1 day postoperatively. Secondary objectives were percent loss of estimated blood volume, postoperative transfusion requirements, and length of hospital stay. Forty-eight patients, 24 in each cohort, were included in the analyses. Mean age at surgery was 7.09 years (±2.5). Fifty percent of each cohort underwent bilateral varus derotational osteotomy with pelvic acetabuloplasty. No statistical differences were found in postoperative hemoglobin differences ( P = 0.18), length of hospital stay ( P = 0.45), or blood transfusion requirements ( P = 0.56) between cohorts. Intraoperative administration of TXA to patients undergoing bony reconstruction for NMHD was not found to reduce postoperative blood loss or requirement for blood transfusion. Future studies should employ a larger, prospective randomized controlled trial to verify these findings.