Effect of Preoperative Cold Therapy on Early Postoperative Outcomes in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Cold therapy was applied using a conventional gel cold pack , pre-cooled at -17°C for at least 2 hours. In the intervention group, cold application was performed three times before surgery (20 minutes per session with 40-minute intervals), and continued postoperatively for 24 hours with the same frequency. This protocol aimed to reduce pain, swelling, bleeding, and improve functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty.

Cold therapy applied only in the postoperative period, for 24 hours, using the same method as the intervention group (20-minute applications with 40-minute breaks.