Today, we’re talking about the use of tranexamic acid or “TXA” for rotator cuff repair surgery. First, what is TXA? If you’re not an arthroplasty surgeon or a traumatologist, you may not be as familiar with this medication. TXA is drug that inhibits the enzymatic breakdown of fibrin blood clots, also known as fibrinolysis. By doing this, TXA stabilizes the thrombi, or blood clots, and thus decreases bleeding. TXA was originally developed to treat postpartum hemorrhage but its use has evolved over the years. It is now often used perioperatively in the setting of elective surgery to reduce blood loss, blood transfusions, ecchymosis, and hematoma formation.

In the field of orthopedics, use of TXA has traditionally been limited to big open surgeries where large volume blood loss is a concern, such as total joint replacement, fracture fixation and spine procedures. However, sports medicine procedures that rely extensively on visual clarity of the surgical field, such as knee and shoulder arthroscopy, can also greatly benefit from the use of TXA. By lessening intraoperative bleeding, TXA may result in better visualization of the surgical field, potentially decreasing operative time and subsequent postoperative swelling and pain. That is the clinical question that our paper today aimed to investigate. The article that we are reviewing is titled “Tranexamic Acid for Rotator Cuff Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.”