Aims. The aims of this study were to assess the pre- and postoperative incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) using routine duplex Doppler ultrasound (DUS), to assess the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) using CT angiography, and to identify the factors that predict postoperative DVT in patients with a pelvic and/or acetabular fracture. Methods. All patients treated surgically for a pelvic and/or acetabular fracture between October 2016 and January 2020 were enrolled into this prospective single-centre study. The demographic, medical, and surgical details of the patients were recorded. DVT screening of the lower limbs was routinely performed using DUS before and at six to ten days after surgery. CT angiography was used in patients who were suspected of having PE. Age-adjusted univariate and stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis were used to determine the association between explanatory variables and postoperative DVT. Results. A total of 191 patients were included. A DVT was found preoperatively in 12 patients (6.3%), of which six were proximal. A postoperative DVT was found in 42 patients (22%), of which 27 were proximal. Eight patients (4.2%) had a PE, which was secondary to a DVT in three. None of the 12 patients in whom a vena cava filter was implanted prophylactically had a PE. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the association with the need for spinal surgery (odds ratio (OR) 19.78 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12 to 348.08); p = 0.041), intramedullary nailing of a long bone fracture (OR 4.44 (95% CI 1.05 to 18.86); p = 0.043), an operating time > two hours (OR 3.28 (95% CI 1.09 to 9.88); p = 0.035), and additional trauma surgery (OR 3.1 (95% CI 1.03 to 9.45); p = 0.045) were statistically the most relevant independent predictors of a postoperative DVT. Conclusion. The acknowledgement of the risk factors for the development of a DVT and their weight is crucial to set a threshold for the index of suspicion for this diagnosis by medical staff. We suggest the routine use of the DUS screening for DVT in patients with a pelvic and/or acetabular fracture before and six to ten days after surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(2):283–289

Objectives. The length of the tourniquet time during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is related to the incidence of post-operative deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Our aim in this study was to investigate the effect of the early release of the tourniquet on the incidence of DVT in patients undergoing TKA. Methods. A total of 200 patients who underwent TKA between November 2015 and November 2016 were prospectively enrolled. The tourniquet was inflated before surgery and released immediately after the introduction of the components (early release group). This group was compared with a retrospective cohort of 200 primary TKAs, in which the tourniquet was released after the dressings had been applied (late release group). The presence of a DVT was detected using bilateral lower limb ultrasonography. Peri-operative clinical and follow-up data were collected for analysis. Results. The incidence of DVT in the early release group (9 of 196, 4.6%) was significantly lower compared with the late release group (24 of 200, 12%; odds ratio (OR) 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.16 to 0.78, p = 0.008). The incidence of proximal DVT in the early release group (1 of 196 (0.5%)) was significantly lower than in the late release group (8 of 196, 4%; OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.99, p = 0.020). Although the mean intra-operative blood loss was higher in the early release group, the mean post-operative drainage, total blood loss, transfusion requirements and complications were not significantly different in the two groups. Conclusion. In patients who undergo TKA, releasing the tourniquet early is associated with a decreased incidence of DVT, without increasing the rate of complications. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2017;6:535–541

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing elective hip arthroplasty surgery. The balance of post-operative VTE prophylaxis and risk of post-operative haemorrhage remains at the forefront of surgeon's mind. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has altered their prophylaxis guidance in the setting of total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of this study was to present the VTE incidence in 8,890 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty between January 1997 and March 2018 with Aspirin as the primary agent for pharmacological thromboprophylaxis. Analysis of prospective data collection from consecutive patients undergoing THA was performed with the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) occurring within 6 months of the index operation as the primary outcome measure. 90-day all-cause mortality of this cohort of patients was also analysed. 8890 patients were reviewed. This included 7235 primary, 224 complex primary and 1431 revision cases. The incidence of DVT was 0.64% after elective THA and the incidence of PE was 0.54%. There was no difference in the incidence between primary and revision cases. The 90-day all-cause mortality was 0.88%. Cardiovascular and respiratory disease were the main causes of death following surgery. Only 0.03% of deaths (n= 3) within 90 days of index surgery were due to VTE. Our results support the use of aspirin as an effective form of prophylaxis against VTE following THA. It is not associated with an increased incidence in symptomatic DVT, PE or death compared to other published studies. The fact that it is inexpensive, readily available, requires no monitoring and does not pose an increased risk of bleeding are other attractive advantages of using aspirin for VTE prophylaxis

Abstract. Introduction. The Wells score is commonly used to assess the risk of proximal Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) following Knee Arthroplasty (KA). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend an Ultrasound scan in patients with a Wells score of 2 points or more. We wanted to assess how often this protocol resulted in a scan being done and how many were negative. Methodology. Details of all postoperative Ultrasound scans performed up to 90 days were audited in a high-volume unit between 1st January 2016 and 31st December 2020. This included all Lower Limb Arthroplasty patients. Results. Out of a total of 4955 KA (4506 Total Knee Arthroplasty, 449 Unilateral Knee Arthroplasty), 449 (9.1%) had a total of 561 scans, with 17 (3.0%) scans demonstrating a proximal DVT. Thus 97.0% of Ultrasound scans were negative. Conclusion. The present NICE guidelines with the two-Level DVT Wells score are inappropriate for the management of suspected proximal DVT following KA. We propose that swelling that fails to reduce after 4 hours of elevation, or new swelling after a period of recumbent rest, would be more appropriate indications for a scan and negative scans should not be repeated without a change in symptoms. Unless there are pressing clinical indications, therapeutic anticoagulation should not commence in the absence of a diagnosis

Abstract. Aims. The association between body mass index (BMI) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) is well studied, but remains unclear in the literature. We aimed to determine whether morbid obesity (BMI≥40) was associated with increased risk of VTE following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), compared to those of BMI<40. Methods. Between January 2016 and December 2020, our institution performed 4506 TKAs and 449 UKAs. 450 (9.1%) patients had a BMI≥40. CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) and ultrasound scan for suspected proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were recorded up to 90 days post-operatively. Results. When comparing those of BMI<40 to those with BMI≥40, there was no difference in incidence of PE (1.0% vs 1.1%, p=0.803) or proximal DVT (0.4% vs 0.2%, p=0.645). There was no difference in number of ultrasound scans ordered (p=0.668), or number of CTPAs ordered for those with a BMI≥40 (p=0.176). The percentage of patients with a confirmed PE or proximal DVT were 24.2% and 3.9% respectively in the BMI<40 group, compared to 20.0% (p=0.804) and 2.3% (p=0.598) in the BMI≥40 group. Conclusion. Morbid obesity was not associated with increased risk of PE or proximal DVT within 90 days of TKA or UKA. Overall, 76.3% of CTPAs and 96.2% of ultrasound scans were negative. Increasing the threshold for VTE investigation would reduce the rate of negative investigations. Establishing more effective risk stratification protocols, to guide investigation, would likely reduce unnecessary imaging

Abstract. BACKGROUND. The effectiveness of anti-embolic graduated compression stockings (GCSs) has recently been questioned. The aim of this study is to systematically review all the relevant randomised controlled trials published to date. PATIENTS AND METHODS. We systematically reviewed all the randomised controlled trials comparing anti-embolism stockings with no stockings. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL, Cochrane Musculoskeletal Injuries Group specialized register and the reference lists of articles as well as hand search results. Trials were independently assessed and data for the main outcome measures; deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism and skin ulceration, were extracted by two reviewers. RESULTS. A total of 26 relevant RCTs involving 8279 participants were systematically reviewed. Theoccurrence of deep vein thrombosis was 306/4159(7.3%) with the stocking to 492/4120(11.9%) without the stockings (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.39–0.62). The occurrence of pulmonary embolism was also reduced from 1.2% go 0.7% (95% 0.33–0.92). This initial finding was unsound due to the potential underreporting of negative studies and the subsequent changes to clinical practice. For the three large contemporary studies involving 5171 participants, these failed to show any statistically significant reduction in thrombosis, with DVT confirmed in 158(6.1%) participants in those allocated to stocking, as opposed to 171(6.6%) in the control group. CONCLUSION. The current recommendations regarding the use of GCSs need to be reconsidered, as their effectiveness at reducing the occurrence of post-operative DVT is minimal at best, based on the current evidence and clinical practices

Introduction and Objective. The effectiveness of anti-embolic graduated compression stockings (GCSs) has recently been questioned. The aim of this study is to systematically review all the relevant randomised controlled trials published to date. Materials and Methods. We systematically reviewed all the randomised controlled trials comparing anti-embolism stockings with no stockings. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL, Cochrane Musculoskeletal Injuries Group specialized register and the reference lists of articles as well as hand search results. Trials were independently assessed and data for the main outcome measures; deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism and skin ulceration, were extracted by two reviewers. Results. A total of 26 relevant RCTs involving 8279 participants were systematically reviewed. The occurrence of deep vein thrombosis was 306/4159 (7.3%) with the stocking to 492/4120 (11.9%) without the stockings (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.39–0.62). The occurrence of pulmonary embolism was also reduced from 1.2% to 0.7% (95% 0.33–0.92). This initial finding was unsound due to the potential underreporting of negative studies and the subsequent changes to clinical practice. For the three large contemporary studies involving 5171 participants, these failed to show any statistically significant reduction in thrombosis, with DVT confirmed in 158 (6.1%) participants in those allocated to stocking, as opposed to 171 (6.6%) in the control group. Conclusions. The current recommendations regarding the use of thrombo-embolic stockings need to be reconsidered, as their effectiveness at reducing the occurrence of post-operative deep vein thrombosis is minimal at best, based on the current evidence and clinical practices

We prospectively studied the outcome of a protocol of prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in 103 consecutive patients undergoing surgical stabilisation of pelvic and acetabular fractures. Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) was administered within 24 hours of injury or on achieving haemodynamic stability. Patients were screened for proximal DVT by duplex ultrasonography performed ten to 14 days after surgery. The incidence of proximal DVT was 10% and of pulmonary embolus 5%. Proximal DVT developed in two of 64 patients (3%) who had received LMWH within 24 hours of injury, but in eight of 36 patients (22%) who received LMWH more than 24 hours after the injury (p < 0.01). We conclude that LMWH, when begun without delay, is a safe and effective method of thromboprophylaxis in high-risk patients with major pelvic or acetabular fractures

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains an immediate threat to patients following total hip and knee replacement. While there is a strong consensus that steps should be taken to minimise the risk to patients by utilising some forms of prophylaxis for the vast majority of patients, the methods utilised have been extremely variable. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been published by various professional organisations for over 25 years to provide recommendations to standardise VTE prophylaxis. Historically, these recommendations have varied widely depending in underlying assumptions, goals, and methodology of the various groups. This effort has previously been exemplified by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The former group of medical specialists targeted minimising venographically proven deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (the vast majority of which are asymptomatic) as their primary goal prior to 2012. The latter group of surgeons targeted minimising symptomatic VTE. As a result prior to 2012, the recommendations of the two groups were widely divergent. In the past year, both groups have reassessed the current literature with the principal goals of minimising symptomatic VTE events and bleeding complications. As a result, for the first time the CPGs of these two major subspecialty organisations are in close agreement

Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for complications after operative management of ankle fractures. Generally, diabetic sequelae such as neuropathy and nephropathy portend greater risk; however, the degree of risk resulting from these patient factors is poorly defined. We sought to evaluate the effects of the diabetic sequelae of neuropathy, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and peripheral vascular disease (PVD) on the risk of complications following operative management of ankle fractures. Using a national claims-based database we analyzed patients who had undergone operative management of an ankle fracture and who remained active in the database for at least two years thereafter. Patients were divided into two cohorts, those with a diagnosis of diabetes and those without. Each cohort was further stratified into five groups: neuropathy, CKD, PVD, multiple sequelae, and no sequelae. The multiple sequelae group included patients with more than one of the three sequelae of interest: CKD, PVD and neuropathy. Postoperative complications were queried for two years following surgery. The main complications of interested were: deep vein thrombosis (DVT), surgical site infection, hospital readmission within 90 days, revision internal fixation, conversion to ankle fusion, and below knee amputation (BKA). We identified 210,069 patients who underwent operative ankle fracture treatment; 174,803 had no history of diabetes, and 35,266 were diabetic. The diabetic cohort was subdivided as follows: 7,506 without identified sequelae, 8,994 neuropathy, 4,961 CKD, 1,498 PVD, and 12,307 with multiple sequelae. Compared to non-diabetics, diabetics without sequelae had significantly higher odds of DVT, infection, readmission, revision internal fixation and conversion to ankle fusion (OR range 1.21 – 1.58, p values range Compared to uncomplicated diabetics, diabetics with neuropathy alone and diabetics with multiple sequelae were found to have significantly higher odds of all complications (OR range 1.18 – 31.94, p values range < 0.001 - 0.034). Diabetics with CKD were found to have significantly higher odds of DVT, readmission, and BKA (OR range 1.34 – 4.28, p values range < 0.001 - 0.002). Finally, diabetics with PVD were found to have significantly higher odds of DVT, readmission, conversion to ankle fusion, and BKA (OR range 1.62 - 9.69, p values range < 0.001 - 0.039). Diabetic patients with sequelae of neuropathy, CKD or PVD generally had higher complication rates than diabetic patients without these diagnoses. Unsurprisingly, diabetic patients with multiple sequalae are at the highest risk of complications and had the highest odds ratios of all complications. While neuropathy is known to be associated with postoperative complications, our analysis demonstrates that CKD represents a significant risk factor for multiple complications following the operative management of ankle fractures and has rarely been discussed in prior studies

In this randomised controlled trial, we evaluated the role of elastic compression using ankle injury stockings (AIS) in the management of fractures of the ankle. A total of 90 patients with a mean age of 47 years (16 to 79) were treated within 72 hours of presentation with a fracture of the ankle, 31 of whom were treated operatively and 59 conservatively, were randomised to be treated either with compression by AIS plus an Aircast boot or Tubigrip plus an Aircast boot. Male to female ratio was 36:54. The primary outcome measure was the functional Olerud–Molander ankle score (OMAS). The secondary outcome measures were; the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score (AOFAS); the Short Form (SF)-12v2 Quality of Life score; and the frequency of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Compression using AIS reduced swelling of the ankle at all time points and improved the mean OMAS score at six months to 98 (95% confidence interval (CI) 96 to 99) compared with a mean of 67 (95% CI 62 to 73) for the Tubigrip group (p < 0.001). The mean AOFAS and SF-12v2 scores at six months were also significantly improved by compression. Of 86 patients with duplex imaging at four weeks, five (12%) of 43 in the AIS group and ten (23%) of 43 in the Tubigrip group developed a DVT (p = 0.26). Compression improved functional outcome and quality of life following fracture of the ankle. DVTs were frequent, but a larger study would be needed to confirm that compression with AISs reduces the incidence of DVT. . Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014; 96-B:1062–9

Aims. The aims of this study were to compare the efficacy of two agents, aspirin and warfarin, for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (SBTKA), and to elucidate the risk of VTE conferred by this procedure compared with unilateral TKA (UTKA). Patients and Methods. A retrospective, multi-institutional study was conducted on 18 951 patients, 3685 who underwent SBTKA and 15 266 who underwent UTKA, using aspirin or warfarin as VTE prophylaxis. Each patient was assigned an individualised baseline VTE risk score based on a system using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Symptomatic VTE, including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), were identified in the first 90 days post-operatively. Statistical analyses were performed with logistic regression accounting for baseline VTE risk. Results. The adjusted incidence of PE following SBTKA was 1.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86 to 1.2) with aspirin and 2.2% (95% CI 2.0 to 2.4) with warfarin. Similarly, the adjusted incidence of VTE following SBTKA was 1.6% (95% CI 1.1 to 2.3) with aspirin and 2.5% (95% CI 1.9 to 3.3) with warfarin. The risk of PE and VTE were reduced by 66% (odds ratio (OR) 0.44, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.78) and 38% (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.0), respectively, using aspirin. In addition, the risk of PE was 204% higher for patients undergoing SBTKA relative to those undergoing UTKA. For each ten-point increase in baseline VTE risk, the risk of PE increased by 25.5% for patients undergoing SBTKA compared with 10.5% for those undergoing UTKA. Patients with a history of myocardial infarction or peripheral vascular disease had the greatest increase in risk from undergoing SBTKA instead of UTKA. Conclusion. Aspirin is more effective than warfarin for the prevention of VTE following SBTKA, and serves as the more appropriate agent for VTE prophylaxis for patients in all risk categories. Furthermore, patients undergoing SBTKA are at a substantially increased risk of VTE, even more so for those with significant underlying risk factors. Patients should be informed about the risks associated with undergoing SBTKA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B(1 Supple A):68–75

Aims. Malignancy and surgery are risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE). We undertook a systematic review of the literature concerning the prophylactic management of VTE in orthopaedic oncology patients. Methods. MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE (Ovid), Cochrane, and CINAHL databases were searched focusing on VTE, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), bleeding, or wound complication rates. Results. In all, 17 studies published from 1998 to 2018 met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The mean incidence of all VTE events in orthopaedic oncology patients was 10.7% (1.1% to 27.7%). The rate of PE was 2.4% (0.1% to 10.6%) while the rate of lethal PE was 0.6% (0.0% to 4.3%). The overall rate of DVT was 8.8% (1.1% to 22.3%) and the rate of symptomatic DVT was 2.9% (0.0% to 6.2%). From the studies that screened all patients prior to hospital discharge, the rate of asymptomatic DVT was 10.9% (2.0% to 20.2%). The most common risk factors identified for VTE were endoprosthetic replacements, hip and pelvic resections, presence of metastases, surgical procedures taking longer than three hours, and patients having chemotherapy. Mean incidence of VTE with and without chemical prophylaxis was 7.9% (1.1% to 21.8%) and 8.7% (2.0% to 23.4%; p = 0.11), respectively. No difference in the incidence of bleeding or wound complications between prophylaxis groups was reported. Conclusion. Current evidence is limited to guide clinicians. It is our consensus opinion, based upon logic and deduction, that all patients be considered for both mechanical and chemical VTE prophylaxis, particularly in high-risk patients (pelvic or hip resections, prosthetic reconstruction, malignant diagnosis, presence of metastases, or surgical procedures longer than three hours). Additionally, the surgeon must determine, in each patient, if the risk of haemorrhage outweighs the risk of VTE. No individual pharmacological agent has been identified as being superior in the prevention of VTE events. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(12)1743:–1751

Aims. We studied the safety and efficacy of multimodal thromboprophylaxis in patients with a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) within the first 120 postoperative days, and the mortality during the first year. Multimodal prophylaxis includes discontinuation of procoagulant medications, VTE risk stratification, regional anaesthesia, an intravenous bolus of unfractionated heparin prior to femoral preparation, rapid mobilization, the use of pneumatic compression devices, and chemoprophylaxis tailored to the patient’s risk of VTE. Methods. Between 2004 to 2018, 257 patients with a proven history of VTE underwent 277 primary elective THA procedures by two surgeons at a single institution. The patients had a history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (186, 67%), pulmonary embolism (PE) (43, 15.5%), or both (48, 17.5%). Chemoprophylaxis included aspirin (38 patients), anticoagulation (215 patients), or a combination of aspirin and anticoagulation (24 patients). A total of 50 patients (18%) had a vena cava filter in situ at the time of surgery. Patients were followed for 120 days to record complications, and for one year to record mortality. Results. Postoperative VTE was diagnosed in seven patients (2.5%): DVT in five, and PE with and without DVT in one patient each. After hospitalization, three patients required readmiss-ion for evacuation of a haematoma, one for wound drainage, and one for monitoring of an elevated international normalized ratio (INR). Seven patients died (2.5%). One patient died five months postoperatively of a PE during open thrombectomy. She had discontinued anticoagulation. One patient died of a haemorrhagic stroke while receiving Coumadin. PE or bleeding was not suspected in the remaining five fatalities. Conclusion. Multimodal prophylaxis is safe and effective in patients with a history of VTE. Postoperative anticoagulation should be prudent as very few patients developed VTE (2.5%) or died of suspected or confirmed PE. Mortality during the first year was mostly unrelated to either VTE or bleeding. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(7 Supple B):71–77

Increased operative time has been previously identified as a risk factor for complications following total joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of surgical time on 30-day complications following Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and to determine if there were specific time intervals associated with worse outcomes. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was utilized to identify patients ≥18 years who underwent TKA between 2005 and 2016 using procedural codes. Patients with surgical durations >240 minutes were excluded. Patient demographics, operation length, and 30-day major and minor complication rates were captured. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine if the rate of complications differed depending on length of operation, while adjusting for age, sex, American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) class, functional status, smoking status, comorbidities, anesthesia type, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Multivariable linear regression was used to identify independent predictors of duration of surgery. A total of 213,921 TKA patients (average age 67 ± 10 years) were identified from the database. Within 30-days of the index procedure, 3,321 (1.55%) experienced a major complication, and 6,144 (2.86%) experienced a minor complication. Mean surgical duration was 92 minutes (range 20 – 240). Underweight, or overweight/obese BMI, male sex, hypertension, cancer, dependent functional status, epidural anaesthesia, and ASA class III and IV were determined to be independent predictors of prolonged operation length, while COPD, current smoking, spinal anesthesia, and older age predicted lower operation times. Operation lengths ≥ 90 minutes significantly increased the risk of both major and minor complications (P>0.01). Specifically, the rates of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), unplanned reintubation, surgical site infection (SSI), sepsis, and wound disruption were higher for patients whose operations lasted ≥ 90 minutes (p 0.05). With respect to specific complications, following covariate adjustment, operation lengths ≥ 90 minutes increased the risk of DVT, deep and superficial incisional SSI, and wound disruption, while operation lengths ≥ 120 minutes increased the risk of deep, non-incisional SSI, and sepsis (P < 0 .01). Surgical times of ≥90 minutes independently increase the 30-day risk of DVT, infection, and wound disruption following TKA after controlling for other variables that influence operation length. This study confirms the importance of surgical duration on early outcomes following TKA

Venous thromboembolic (VTE) events including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) remain a significant concern following total joint arthroplasty. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) guidelines for VTE prophylaxis have focused on the safety of prophylactic regimens, with the primary endpoint being prevention of symptomatic events while avoiding the risks of hematoma, infection, and re-operation associated with aggressive anticoagulation. In 2007, the AAOS clinical practice guideline recommended “risk stratification” of patients for VTE events and bleeding. Unfortunately, there remains limited evidence as to specific factors that should be used during pre-operative risk stratification. A prior investigation has demonstrated the effectiveness of using a history of VTE events, active cancer, and hypercoagulable state (i.e. Factor V Leiden) as criteria for high-risk patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. In addition, large national database systems have been used to identify risk factors for VTE events. Unfortunately, these investigations emphasise different risk factors and their importance in increasing the risk of VTE events. Thus, criteria to be used for risk stratification of patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty remain unclear. What remains clear is that even in healthy patients who are aggressively anticoagulated, a VTE event can still occur

Introduction. We studied the safety and efficacy of multimodal thromboprophylaxis (MMP) in patients with a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). MMP includes discontinuation of procoagulant medications, VTE risk stratification, regional anesthesia, an intravenous bolus of unfractionated heparin before femoral work, rapid mobilization, the use of pneumatic compression devices, and chemoprophylaxis tailored to the patient's risk. Material and methods. From 2004 to 2018, 257 patients (mean age: 67 years; range: 26–95) with a history of VTE underwent 277 primary, elective THAs procedures (128 right, 100 left, 9 single-stage bilateral, 20 staged bilateral) by two orthopaedic surgeons at a single institution. The patients had a history deep vein thrombosis (DVT) 186 (67%), pulmonary embolism (PE) 43 (15.5%), or both 48 (17.5%). Chemoprophylaxis included aspirin (38 patients) and anticoagulation (239 patients; Coumadin: 182, low-molecular-weight heparin: 3, clopidogrel: 1, rivaroxaban: 3, and a combination: 50). Forty eight patients (17.3%) had a vena cava filter at the time of surgery. Patients were followed for 120 days to detect complications, and for a year to detect mortality. Results. Postoperative VTE was diagnosed in seven patients (2.5%): DVT in five, and PE with and without DVT in one patient each. Bleeding complications occurred in 2 patients, one requiring surgical evacuation of a hematoma. Seven patients died during the first year (2.5%). One patient died 5 months postoperatively of a fatal PE during open thrombectomy, and one patient died of a hemorrhagic stroke while receiving Coumadin. PE or bleeding was not suspected in any of the remaining 5 fatalities. Conclusions. The result of this study spanning over 13 years, suggests that MMP is safe and effective. Postoperative anticoagulation should be prudent as very few patients developed postoperative VTE (2.5%) or died of suspected or confirmed PE. Mortality during the first year was mostly unrelated to VTE or bleeding. For any tables or figures, please contact the authors directly

Introduction. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most successful surgeries to relieve pain and dysfunction caused by severe arthritis. However, it is a still big problem that there is a possibility of death in pulmonary embolism (PE) after TKA. We previously reported that there was more incidence of asymptomatic PE than estimated in general by detail examinations. But it was difficult to whom we decided to perform additional examinations except the patients with some doubtful symptoms. Therefore, we investigated detail of PE patients after primary TKA to find out anything key point in PE. Methods. Consecutive ninety-nine patients who underwent primary TKA from January 2015 to March 2018 were applied. There were 23 male and 76 females included, and the mean age was 73.7 years old. There were 96 cases of osteoarthritis, 2 cases of osteonecrosis and one of rheumatoid arthritis. A single knee surgery team performed all operations with cemented type prostheses and air tourniquet during operation. There were 35 cases of one-staged bilateral TKA and 64 of unilateral TKA. Detail examinations with contrast enhanced CT (CE-CT) and venous ultrasonography (US) were performed at the 3rd day after surgery. Next, we applied ultra sound cardiogram (UCG) to the patients diagnosed as PE by CE-CT, we checked right ventricular overload (RVO) to treat PE. These images were read by a single senior radiologist team. Results. CE-CT was performed in 87 patients (87.8%) and US was in all patients. The incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was 67 patients (67.6%), and all of these was distal type DVT. PE was 17 patients (17.1%), and each of patients had no symptoms. RVO was detected in 5 patients (5.0%), and two of them (2.0%) had decreased SpO2 in early 90% perioperative period. All patients did not change rehabilitation protocol and progress was good until discharge. Conclusion. We investigated consecutive 99 patients for DVT/PE after primary TKA using CE-CT and venous US. And we performed UCG to PE patients. One of the important findings to decide detail examination for asymptomatic PE was decrease in SpO2 during early perioperative period. It might be the only finding except symptom. We also have to be more aware about high incidence of asymptomatic PE and more careful to the patients after TKA to prevent complications. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the second most common complication and pulmonary embolism (PE) is the fourth most common cause of death after a hip fracture. Despite thromboprophylaxis, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is detected in up to 45% of hip fracture patients. Thrombelastography (TEG) is a whole-blood, point of care test capable of providing clinicians with a global assessment of the clotting process, from fibrin formation to clot lysis. Maximal amplitude (mA) from TEG analysis is a measure of clot strength. Elevated admission mA values of >65mm and >72mm have been determined to be independent predictors of in-hospital PE. The coagulation index (CI) is calculated based on TEG parameters and defines hypercoagulable state as CI >3. This study aimed to use serial TEG analysis to determine the duration of hypercoagulable state after hip fracture. A prospective cohort of hip fracture patients >50 years of age amenable to surgical treatment (AO 31A1–A3 & 31B1–B3) were enrolled at a Level I trauma centre. Serial TEG analysis (TEG 6S) was performed every 24-hours from admission until 5-days post-operatively and at 2- and 6-week follow-up visits. All patients received a minimum of 28 days of thromboprophylaxis. Descriptive statistics and single sample t-tests were used for comparison of mA to the 65mm threshold. Thirty-five patients (26 female) with a median age of 83 (range = 71–86) years were included. On admission, 31.4% and 82.9% of patients were hypercoagulable based on mA >65mm and CI, respectively. At 2 weeks, all patients remained hypercoagulable, however, mA >72mm showed that 16 patients (47.1%) were at even higher risk for VTE. At 6-weeks, 65.7% and 97.1% of patients were hypercoagulable based on mA >65mm and CI, respectively. When compared with the mA >65mm threshold, patients were hypocoagulable at the time of admission (mA = 62.2 (±6.3), p = 0.011), but became significantly more hypercoagulable at 2-weeks (mA = 71.6 (±2.6), p < 0 .001), followed by continued hypercoagulability at 6-weeks, however not significantly elevated above the 65mm threshold (mA = 66.2 (±3.8), p = 0.058). One patient developed a symptomatic DVT at 2-weeks and had a mA = 72.9 and a CI of 5.9. This is the first study to demonstrate that >50% of hip fracture patients remain hypercoagulable 6 weeks post fracture despite thromboprophylaxis, and there are individual hypercoagulable responses. This is critical, as guidelines only recommend 28 to 35 days of thromboprophylaxis in this high-risk population. Previously determined mA thresholds may be a more sensitive test for risk-stratifying patients' VTE risk than the CI threshold. Additionally, assessing ΔmA using serial TEG may better predict VTE risk