Data from a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery suggest that patients who undergo primary reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) may benefit from the use of tranexamic acid (TXA). 

The authors conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of 102 patients undergoing primary RTSA who received either intravenous TXA (n = 53) or placebo (n = 49). They found that total blood loss, total hemoglobin loss, and total drain output were less in the TXA cohort compared to the control cohort. The authors note that seven patients (14.3 percent) and 12 units of blood were transfused in the placebo group, while three patients (5.7 percent) and 3 units were transfused in the TXA group. Learn more...