Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in a nationwide cohort.

The Pulmonary Embolism Prevention (PEP) Trial was designed to assess the effects of a 35 day course of aspirin (160 mg daily) on the risks of thromboembolic events, other cardiovascular outcomes and bleeding among individuals undergoing surgery for hip fracture or joint replacement. From 1992 to 1998, 148 hospitals in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom randomised 13,356 hip fracture patients, and 22 hospitals in New Zealand randomised 4,088 elective arthroplasty patients. Among hip fracture patients, aspirin produced proportional reductions in PE of 43% (95% confidence interval [CI] 18% to 60%; 2P=0.002) and symptomatic DVT of 29% (95% CI 3% to 48%; 2P=0.03). PE or DVT was confirmed in 105 (1.6%) of 6679 patients allocated aspirin versus 165 (2.5%) of 6677 allocated placebo, representing an absolute reduction of 9±2 per 1000 and a proportional reduction of 36% (95% CI 19% to 50%; 2P=0.0003). Aspirin prevented 4±1 fatal pulmonary emboli per 1000 treated (18 aspirin vs 43 placebo deaths), representing a proportional reduction of 58% (95% CI 27% to 76%; 2P=0.002), with no apparent effect on deaths from other vascular (hazard ratio 1.04; 95% CI 0.86 to 1.26) or non-vascular cause (1.01; 95% CI 0.84 to 1.23). Deaths due to bleeding were rare (13 aspirin vs 15 placebo), but there was an excess of 6±3 post-operative transfused bleeds per 1000 allocated aspirin (2P=0.04). Among elective arthroplasty patients, venous thromboembolism rates were lower but the proportional effects of aspirin appeared similar to those among hip fracture patients

Pulmonary embolism is a serious complication after arthroscopy of the knee, about which there is limited information. We have identified the incidence and risk factors for symptomatic pulmonary embolism after arthroscopic procedures on outpatients. The New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database was used to review arthroscopic procedures of the knee performed on outpatients between 1997 and 2006, and identify those admitted within 90 days of surgery with an associated diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Potential risk factors included age, gender, complexity of surgery, operating time defined as the total time that the patient was actually in the operating room, history of cancer, comorbidities, and the type of anaesthesia. We identified 374 033 patients who underwent 418 323 outpatient arthroscopies of the knee. There were 117 events of pulmonary embolism (2.8 cases for every 10 000 arthroscopies). Logistic regression analysis showed that age and operating time had significant dose-response increases in risk (p < 0.001) for a subsequent admission with a pulmonary embolism. Female gender was associated with a 1.5-fold increase in risk (p = 0.03), and a history of cancer with a threefold increase (p = 0.05). These risk factors can be used when obtaining informed consent before surgery, to elevate the level of clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism in patients at risk, and to establish a rationale for prospective studies to test the clinical benefit of thromboprophylaxis in high-risk patients

We studied 4253 patients undergoing primary joint replacement between November 2002 and November 2007, of whom 4060 received aspirin only as chemical prophylaxis; 46 were mistakenly given low molecular weight heparin initially, which was stopped and changed to aspirin; 136 received no chemoprophylaxis and 11 patients received warfarin because of a previous history of pulmonary embolism. We identified the rate of clinical thromboembolism before and after discharge, and the mortality from pulmonary embolism at 90 days. The overall death rate was 0.31% (13 of 4253) and the rate of fatal pulmonary embolism was 0.07% (3 of 4253). Our data suggest that fatal pulmonary embolism is not common following elective primary joint replacement, and with modern surgical practice elective hip and knee replacement should no longer be considered high-risk procedures

We report a case of fatal pulmonary embolism following a simple ankle fracture in a 17-year-old girl. The diagnosis was confirmed at post-mortem. The risk factors for deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism and their significance in orthopaedic fracture management are discussed

We made a prospective study of the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism in patients after total knee replacement with no prophylactic anticoagulation. There were 499 consecutive patients having 527 knee replacements. They all wore anti-thromboembolic stockings and were mobilised 48 hours after surgery. No patient was lost to follow-up. One patient died of pulmonary embolism 22 days after operation. There were no other deaths within three months of operation. The incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism was 0.19% (95% confidence interval: 0 to 0.6%). Fatal pulmonary embolism is rare after total knee replacement without prophylactic anticoagulation and the routine anticoagulation of these patients is of doubtful value

Background. Orthopaedic surgeons are increasingly pressured to consider thromboprophylaxis for patients when little evidence exists. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism following office attendance in our outpatient fracture clinic. Methods. Between October 2004 and September 2006 details of all new patients referred to our orthopaedic fracture clinic were prospectively entered into an audit database. Patients did not receive any form of thromboprophylaxis. Data was cross referenced with a national mortality database to identify all patients who subsequently died within 90 days of attendance in fracture clinic. Results. 11,502 new patient fracture clinic appointments occurred during the study period. 5604 patients had lower limb injuries. Twenty three patients died within 90 days of being seen. The mean age of these patients was 75 years (range 52–100). Two of the 23 patients attended fracture clinic with lower limb injuries. Review of the medical records showed no evidence of pulmonary embolism. Assuming a worst case scenario that both died of fatal pulmonary embolism the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism following attendance in fracture clinic with a lower limb injury is no higher than 0.036% (95% CI 0.09%–0.33%). Conclusion. The incidence of fatal PE following outpatient management of lower limb fractures is very low. This incidence data will inform decisions on the risk-benefit analyisis of thromboprophylaxis in this group of patients

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate post-total joint arthroplasty patients who were sent for a chest CT scan in order to determine the clinical factors that were most likely to be associated with, and predictive of, a radiologic diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in the acute, postoperative period. Method: The current study involved a review of 540 total knee replacements and 543 total hip arthroplasty procedures performed from June 2008 to September 2009. All patients received postoperative VTE prophy-laxis using LMWH, as per the protocols established by the Alberta Bone and Joint Initiative, and consistent with the recommendations of the American College of Chest Physicians (2008). A pulmonary CT scan was ordered for patients in situations where. a pulmonary embolism was strongly suspected. for those who lacked a clear alternative diagnosis as an explanation for their findings. when steps to correct the suspected underlying condition failed to normalize results, or. in situations where the diagnosis (i.e. new-onset atrial fibrillation) warranted further investigation to rule out a PE as a possible cause. Patients referred for multidetector computed tomography to investigate the possibility of pulmonary embolus were identified, and subjected to a chart review. Results: Forty-two patients underwent a pulmonary CT scan investigation to rule out pulmonary embolus. Of these, 15 patients had undergone hip surgery, and 27 had undergone a total knee replacement. Of the 42 patients, 34 exhibited hypoxemia as their major presenting sign (oxygen saturation less than 90% on room air), with or without other signs or symptoms. Four patients presented with tachycardia alone, and 2 patients presented with chest pain, of which one patient had an associated arrhythmia. Of the 34 patients presenting with unexplained postoperative hypoxemia, 25 were patients who had undergone total knee replacement, and of these 25 patients, 14 (56%) were found to have a pulmonary embolus on CT scanning of the lungs. There were no PE’s identified in the post-hip population. None of the patients with PE’s presented with subjective dyspnea or chest pain. There were no fatalities as a result of PE. Conclusion: The overall high rate of detection of pulmonary embolism in our postoperative population is due the very close monitoring of pulse oximetry combined with the improved sensitivity of imaging modalities. Hypoxemia is emerging as the clinical sign that is most sensitive to the possibility of a PE in the post-knee arthroplasty patient. Reliance on clinical symptoms such as chest pain, dyspnea, or even tachycardia is no longer appropriate. It is recommended that oxygen saturation, as measured by pulse oximetry, should be monitored regularly on all post-arthroplasty patients. Hypoxemia should lead to a prompt and thorough medical workup. If an obvious explanation for the hypoxemia cannot be identified, the patient should undergo a multidetector CT scan to rule out a pulmonary embolus

Introduction. Peak incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) typically occurs weeks after total hip (THA) or knee (TKA) arthroplasty, long after hospital discharge. We investigated risk factors for acute PE occurring during index hospitalisation. Methods. Retrospective review of an IRB-approved database identified 329 arthroplasties performed by a single surgeon between 2002 and 2007 at two University teaching hospitals. Warfarin (goal INR 2.0) was standard venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Results. There were 126 (38.6%) primary THA, 86 (26.1%) primary TKA and 117 (35.3%) revision arthroplasties. Seven patients (7/329; 2.1%) experienced clinically evident non-fatal pulmonary embolism, including 5 after TKA (5/128; 3.9%) and 2 after THA (2/194; 1.0%). In-hospital PE occurred in 4 (1.2%) patients (3 TKA, 1 THA) at a mean 2.7 days (range 2-4 days) after operation, compared with 3 symptomatic events (2 TKA, 1 THA) occurring after discharge (mean 19.3 days; range 8-27 days). Three of four patients suffering acute in-hospital PE were on pre-operative warfarin for chronic atrial fibrillation. Among all patients on pre-operative warfarin, 3 (12.5%) sustained an early PE, with a relative risk of 38.1 times that of controls not on chronic warfarin therapy (p=0.001). Body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2, a history of previous venous thromboembolism, coronary artery disease, ASA score, and type of operation were all found to not be associated with increased risk of in-hospital PE. Conclusion. Acute symptomatic in-hospital pulmonary embolism was correlated with chronic pre-operative warfarin anticoagulation. Compared to historical controls, time to PE was shorter in patients on chronic warfarin. Rebound hypercoagulability after discontinuation of chronic warfarin in preparation for total joint arthroplasty represents a greater hazard than excessive bleeding; we advocate bridging anticoagulation with LMWH in these patients

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

Fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) after total hip replacement (THR) is a major concern to all orthopaedic surgeons. Our intention was to ascertain death rates and deaths due to PE following total hip replacement where chemical thromboprophylaxis was not used routinely. We determined retrospectively, the postoperative mortality and fatal pulmonary embolism rates in 1671 consecutive primary total hop replacements in 1547 patients performed as staged procedures between January 1997 and April 2000 at an orthopaedic hospital. The minimum follow-up period was six weeks period after surgery at an orthopaedic hospital. Patients were traced by questionnaires, outpatient appointments and by telephone. Post-mortem records were used to verify cause of death. Follow-up was 100%. The death rate from PE was 0. 12% (CI 0. 03% – 0. 44%) and the all-cause mortality rate was 0. 36% (CI 0. 16% – 0. 78%). All deaths were within the first 10 days during the initial hospital stay. The patient mortality was compared with the population mortality for England and Wales, using standardised mortality ratios (SMRs). The SMR for both sexes combined was 0. 81. We observed a lower mortality in females (SMR=0. 43) but a higher mortality in males (SMR=1. 44) during the first 42 postoperative days compared to the general population. Fatal PE after THR without routine chemical thromboprophylaxis is very uncommon. The death rate in patients undergoing THR appears to be lower than that in the general population

Summary Statement. Pulmonary embolism (PE) after total knee arthroplasty can have a significant impact on patient outcomes and healthcare costs. Efforts to prevent or minimise PE over the last 10 years have not had a significant impact on its occurrence at the national level. Introduction. Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a rare but known potentially devastating complication of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Significant healthcare resources and pharmaceutical research has been recently focused on preventing this complication but limited data exists regarding the early results of this great effort. The purpose of this study was to assess recent national trends in PE occurrence after TKA and evaluate patient outcomes related to this adverse event. Methods. International Classification of Disease - 9th Revision (ICD-9) procedure codes were used to search the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) for all patients admitted to US hospitals after primary TKA for each year between 2001 and 2010. ICD-9 diagnosis codes were then used to identify patients from this population who developed an acute PE during the same admission. Data regarding patient demographics, hospitalization length, discharge disposition, deep vein thrombosis, mortality, and hospital size/location were gathered from the NHDS. Trends were evaluated by linear regression with Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) and statistical comparisons were made using Student's t-test, z-test for proportions, and chi-square analysis with a significance level of 0.05. Results. 35,220 patients admitted for a primary TKA were identified. 159 (0.045%) of these patients developed an acute PE during the same admission. After adjusting for fluctuations in annual TKA performed, the development of PE after TKA demonstrated a weak negative correlation with time (r=0.17), insignificantly decreasing from an average rate of 0.049% between 2001–2005 to 0.041% between 2006–2010 (p=0.26). The size of the hospital was found to significantly impact the incidence of PE and primary TKA, with the lowest rate seen in hospitals under 100 beds (0.23%) and the highest rate seen in those with over 500 beds (0.65%, p=0.01). No significant differences in PE incidence were noted based on US region (p=0.38). The mean age of patients with PE was 67.7 years. This group included 54 men and 105 women. The non-PE group had a mean patient age that was insignificantly lower at 66.6 years (p=0.21) and included 12,450 men and 22,611 women. Gender was also not significantly different (p=0.68) between those with PE and those without PE. The number of medical co-morbidities was significantly higher in those with PE (mean 6.42 diagnoses) than those without PE (mean 4.89 diagnoses, p<0.01). Average hospitalization length also varied based on PE status, with significantly longer stays for those with PE (8.2 days, range 2–53) compared to those without PE (3.7 days, range 1–95, p<0.01). The rate of deep vein thrombosis was higher in the PE group (12.7%) versus the non-PE group (0.48%, p<0.01). Mortality was also significantly higher for the PE group (3.9%) compared to the non-PE group (0.09%, p<0.01). Discharge disposition did not significantly vary based on PE status, with 61.5% of PE and 64.0% of non-PE patients able to go directly home (p=0.59) after their inpatient stay. Discussion/Conclusion. This study demonstrates that PE can have a significant impact on patient outcomes and healthcare costs, with an associated 43-fold increase in mortality and a doubling of the inpatient admission duration. Additionally, although the risk of PE after primary TKA remains rare, it still persists. Efforts to prevent or minimise this complication over the last 10 years have not had a significant impact on its occurrence at the national level. This risk of PE appears to be greatest in patients with multiple medical co-morbidities and established DVTs. Interestingly, the PE rate also demonstrated variability based on hospital size. The reasons for this are not clear, but we suspect larger hospitals are more likely to be tertiary-care centers and thus care for more medically-complex patients

Introduction. Pulmonary embolism (PE) complicates up to 1% of total joint arthroplasties (TJA). Many PE treatment guidelines call for immediate initiation of therapeutic anticoagulation. Options include Xa inhibitors, Enoxaparin, and Warfarin. Deciding between these is a balance of the efficacy and the risks. Little data exists regarding the risks of each of these treatment options for treating PE in arthroplasty patients. Methods. We examined the records of 29,270 patients who underwent a primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA), defined as a unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) (18,987) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) (10,283), between 2/2016 and 12/2018 at our institution and identified 338 (242 TKA, 96 THA) patients who developed an in-hospital PE treated with therapeutic anticoagulation. The patients were treated with therapeutic doses of Xa inhibitors, enoxaparin or warfarin. The type and frequency of complications were determined and classified as major or minor. Major complication included: bleeding requiring surgery, GI bleed requiring treatment, >2 unit transfusion and mortality. Minor complications included wound drainage, bleeding not requiring surgery, and thrombocytopenia. Results. Overall complication rates were high for all treatments. Xa inhibitors had the lowest complication rate at 14% compared to 20% for enoxaparin and 20.7% for warfarin though the difference did not quite reach statistical significance (p=.054). Both major and minor complication were lower with Xa inhibitors, but again the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.67). There was no significant difference in complications between TKA groups (p=0.73) or THA groups (p=0.83). Gender and body mass index were not predictive of major or minor complications. Discussion. Our results demonstrate high complication rates associated with modern therapeutic anticoagulation protocols for perioperative PE following TJA. Patients who receive therapeutic anticoagulation postoperatively are at high risk for complication. Xa inhibitors may decrease these risks, but larger studies are required

Introduction:. Although the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) or other embolic events associated with total joint arthroplasty have been recorded for some time, to date no direct means of these events in human arthroplasty have reported. This prospective study was designed to clarify the pathophysiologic mechanism of PE after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods:. Nine patients fulfilling the following selection criteria were included in this prospective study: diagnosis of osteoarthosis, age 60 to 75 years, cemented primary TKA. All patients had a baseline pulmonary perfusion scan 2 days prior to the surgery. TKA was performed in the standard manner under general anesthesia. Monitoring of the heart chambers during the course of the TKA was performed using a 5 MHz ultrasonic transducer placed into the esophagus. The 4-chamber view plane of the heart was then imaged using a 2-dimensional echocardiography. A tip of the catheter inserted from the contralateral femoral vein was also placed in the inferior vena cava to harvest the venous blood flowed from the suffered lower extremity before and after tourniquet release. All patients had pulmonary perfusion scans 3 hours after TKA and on the 21st postoperative day. The ventilation-perfusion scan was compared with the baseline perfusion scan. Results:. No symptomatic PE were identified. Using transesophageal echocardiographic monitoring, the heaviest flow of embolic particles in the right heart was observed 2 seconds after tourniquet release and lasted approximately 30 seconds. By squeezing the calf muscle, the heavy flow of embolic particles was again observed. The venous blood harvested through the catheter after tourniquet release had fat droplets and white coagula. All of patients had pulmonary perfusion defects 3 hours after TKA, but no pulmonary perfusion defects on the 21st postoperative day. Discussion and Conclusions:. Substantial amounts of embolic materials were seen in the right heart using transesophageal echocardiography in patients operated in the standard manner. It was demonstrated that these embolic materials consisted of fat droplets and white coagula. We also demonstrated that many embolic materials for PE and/or DVT originated in the calf. All of patients had pulmonary perfusion defects just after TKA. It was concluded that all of the patients who underwent TKA had asymptomatic PE just after the surgery. Therefore, all of the patients have a possibility of symptomatic PE just after TKA

We carried out a prospective, randomised study of 62 patients to determine the efficacy of a foot sole pump (the A-V Impulse System) for the prevention of pulmonary embolism (PE) after hip surgery. PE was assessed by pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy before and after operation. We defined a PE as any new scintigraphic defect which was larger than a bronchopulmonary segment. The incidence of PE was 55% in the control group and 21% in the treatment group. The foot sole pump significantly reduced the incidence of PE (p = 0.008) and we encountered no side-effects from its use

Aims. The place of thromboprophylaxis in arthroplasty surgery remains controversial, with a challenging requirement to balance prevention of potentially fatal venous thrombo-embolism with minimising wound-related complications leading to deep infection. We compared the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism in patients undergoing elective primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) between those receiving aspirin, warfarin and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for the chemical component of a multi-modal thromboprophylaxis regime. Patients and Methods. A prospective audit database was used to identify patients who had died within 42 and 90 days of surgery respectively between April 2000 and December 2012. A case note review was performed to ascertain the causes of death. Results. During this period 7983 THAs were performed. The rate of mortality was 0.43% and 0.58% at 42 and 90 days respectively. The groups comprised 1571 patients (19.7%) on warfarin, 1838 (23.0%) on LMWH and 4574 (57.3%) on aspirin. The 90-day mortality for these three groups was 0.38%, 1.09% and 0.43% respectively. The higher mortality rate for LMWH was significant (p < 0.05). There were six fatal pulmonary emboli (PEs) (0.08%). A total of three occurred within 42 days, all in the LMWH group. A total of three occurred between 42 and 90 days; one on warfarin, two on LMWH. The leading causes of death in all three groups were lower respiratory tract infections and myocardial infarction. Conclusion. We confirmed that fatal PE following elective THA with a multi-modal prophylaxis regime is rare. We further found that LMWH conferred no benefit over aspirin in this context, and is associated with a higher all-cause rate of mortality. Take home message: This study proposes that aspirin may be an appropriate thromboprophylaxis agent when used as part of a multi-modal regimen, suggesting current guidelines should be reviewed. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:585–8

In order to prevent fatal pulmonary embolism TED stockings, foot pumps and early mobilisation on the second post-operative day are used at our centre. Only patients deemed to be high risk (previous DVT/PE or obese) are given Clexane as an inpatient and Warfarin for six weeks post op. 1137 primary hips and 1017 primary knees were identified using the hospital database and the figures confirmed with the theatre implant order books. Those patients now deceased on the database had their death certificates obtained from the coroner. No patients had died from pulmonary embolism within three months post operation. 34 patients had been discharged on Warfarin according to the pharmacy records. We would therefore not recommend the routine use of chemical thromboprophylaxis following joint replacement

We calculated the rates for perioperative mortality and fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) after primary total hip replacement in a single UK health region, using a regional arthroplasty register and the tracing service of the Office of National Statistics. During 1990, there were 2111 consecutive primary replacements in 2090 separate procedures. Within 42 days of operation a total of 19 patients had died (0.91%, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.42). Postmortem examination showed that four deaths (0.19%, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.49) were definitely due to PE. The overall perioperative mortality and fatal PE rates are low and in our study did not appear to be altered by the use of chemical thromboprophylaxis (perioperative mortality rate: one-tailed Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.39; fatal PE rate: one-tailed Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.56). The routine use of chemical thromboprophylaxis for primary THR is still controversial. The issue should be addressed by an appropriate randomised, prospective study using overall mortality and fatal PE rate as the main outcome measures, but the feasibility of such a study is questioned

Purpose. With the advent of newer diagnostic imaging tools, the reported prevalence of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) following total hip (THA) and total knee (TKA) arthroplasty appears to be increasing. However, the true prevalence and clinical relevance of these events are unclear. Our study was designed to evaluate the results of routine multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in this patient population in the early postoperative period. Method. We prospectively performed MDCT scans on 48 consecutive THA/TKA patients on the first postoperative day in 2009. Patients underwent routine postoperative care and data were collected regarding the development of symptoms such as tachycardia, fever, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Scans were kept blinded and read at the end of study recruitment for the diagnosis of acute PE. Results. Our cohort included 27 TKA patients and 21 THA patients. None of the 48 patients had any symptoms of PE. Among the TKR patients, 11 (41%) of the CT scans were read as positive for acute PE compared with 1 (5%) of the THR patients (p=0.004). All of the patients diagnosed with asymptomatic PE were discharged from hospital without treatment for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and without developing any clinical symptoms suggestive of VTE. One TKA patient, who had a negative CT scan on the first postoperative day, was diagnosed with symptomatic PE the following day. Conclusion. Our study demonstrates a high rate of abnormal MDCT early following lower extremity arthroplasty, the clinical significance of which may be benign. This finding is also important in the interpretation of MDCT obtained after a clinical suspicion of PE in these patients

Background. Post-operative deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and subsequent pulmonary embolism (PE) remain a serious complication after total joint replacement. Although with modern chemical and mechanical prophylaxis and rapid rehabilitation the rate of symptomatic DVT and PE has reduced, isolation of pre-operative DVT, specially in patients with prior history of DVT remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to assess the use of pre-operative dopplers as a tool to detect and identify prior DVT in patients undergoing total joint replacement. Methods. Between January 2014 and December 2014, 211 elective primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty were identified from our prospective institutional database. All cases were performed by two adult reconstruction specialists. All primary total hip arthroplasties (THA) were non-cemented and all primary total knee arthroplasties (TKA) were cemented with similar implant and technique. Prior to July 2014, only patients with prior history of DVT or PE underwent pre-operative dopplers. From July 2014, all cases underwent routine pre-operative doppler screening. All patients with clinical symptoms of calf pain underwent post-operative dopplers. Patients were followed for a minimum of 3 month post-operatively. All emergency room (ER) visits for role out DVT were identified. No patient was lost to follow. Results. 115 patients patient underwent pre-operative dopplers. Three patients had a history of prior popliteal DVT, none of which had post-operative DVT or PE. In the remaining 112 patients, none of the pre-operative dopplers were positive for DVT. 34 patients in this group (29%) underwent post-operative dopplers, either during the hospital stay or in the ER within 3 month after index surgery. Only one patient developed symptomatic PE (0.8%) after total knee arthroplasty. 96 patients did not have pre-operative dopplers, 3 of which (3%) had symptomatic DVT and PE during hospital stay, all after total knee arthroplasty. There was no statistical difference for rate of symptomatic DVT/PE between the two groups (p=0.3). There was no correlation between DVT and obesity, age, or revision versus primary cases. Discussion and Conclusions. Routine pre-operative dopplers do not significantly lower rate of symptomatic DVT/PE and are not helpful in early detection and prevention in asymptomatic patients prior to routine total joint replacement