Electric cautery does not reduce blood loss in primary total knee arthroplasty compared with scalpel only surgery a double-blinded randomized controlled trial

80 patients scheduled for total knee arthroplasty were randomized to have soft tissue dissection and arthrotomy performed using either a No. 10 scalpel (Feather blade; FEATHER Safety Razor Co., Ltd) or electrocautery device (Force FX; Covidien). Patients were assessed primarily for total blood loss, postoperative blood loss to drainage, mean hemoglobin level, and drop in hemoglobin level over the first 48 hours after total knee arthroplasty. Results demonstrated no significant differences between groups in any of the above outcome measures.