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Volume 9- No. 2 2021

Educated Hand Publishing LLC 
“The Science Behind the Art” 
Volume 9 - No.2 2021 

 Anesthesia eJournal - Online
ISSN 2333-2611

Page 3

Spinal Anesthesia for Total Joint Replacement
Trey T. Overla, BSN, RN, RRNA

Affiliation:
 Texas Christian University

Grant/Financial Support: 
None

Biographical data:  
Trey T. Overla is a Registered Nurse pursuing his DNP in Nurse Anesthesia at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. 

KEYWORDS:  spinal anesthesia, general anesthesia, anesthesia, total joint arthroplasty, total joint replacement, total hip replacement, 
total knee replacement

Abstract
Total joint arthroplasty is one of the most performed surgical procedures in the developed world with millions of total 
hip and total knee replacements taking place each year.1 It has long been debated whether general anesthesia or neuraxial 
anesthesia is the best choice for lower limb total joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this scientific poster is to explore 
and discuss the potential benefits of using spinal anesthesia rather than general anesthesia for total knee arthroplasty or 
total hip arthroplasty.  A database search utilizing Embase, Medline complete, and PubMed was completed to obtain 
information for the poster. After data and resources were reviewed, several benefits were discovered related to the use 
of spinal anesthesia for total joint arthroplasty. Benefits included lower 30-day mortality rates, decreased odds for all-
cause mortality and fewer complications in most cases, lower 90-day complication rate, decreased postoperative nausea 
and vomiting, and decreased medical costs.1-6 According to the literature, a systematic review and meta-analysis, and a 
multinational expert group neuraxial anesthesia is the preferred anesthetic technique due to its reduction of most (but 
not all) complications.1 Spinal anesthesia is the preferred method of anesthesia for total knee and total hip arthroplasty 
given the positive associated postoperative outcome benefits.1

AEJ




