Abstract. Introduction. Neck of femur (NOF) fracture patients are at risk of developing venous thromboembolisms (VTE). VTE risks could be reduced by adhering to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommendation for 1 month of prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin. This audit aimed to assess and improve local compliance to national guidelines on VTE prophylaxis in NOF fracture patients following discharge. Methods. A retrospective consecutive case series of all NOF fractures treated at our institution from May – July 2021 was conducted. Those not eligible for outpatient VTE prophylaxis were excluded (anticoagulated for other indications, completed prophylactic course in hospital, inpatient death, pharmacological prophylaxis contraindicated). The agent and duration of VTE prophylaxis, and the occurrence of clinically significant VTE or bleeds were recorded. A re-audit was conducted in March 2022. Results. From May – July 2021, only 1/65 (1.5%) patient was discharged on a VTE prophylaxis regime consistent with NICE guidelines (1 enoxaparin, 56 rivaroxaban, 6 apixaban; 58 35-day course, 5 28-day course). A quick-guide document summarising the standard inpatient and outpatient VTE prophylaxis regimes for various orthopaedic indications was designed and widely disseminated. In March 2022, 30/34 (88.2%) patients were discharged with enoxaparin and 24/34 (70.6%) received a 28-day course. There were no cases of clinically significant VTE or bleeds in both cycles. Conclusion. Local compliance to national guidelines improved significantly with the implementation of a standardised VTE prophylaxis protocol. Our quick-guide document is a reproducible way of communicating consensus and ensuring consistency within a department

Thrombelastography (TEG) is a point-of-care tool that can measure clot formation and breakdown using a whole blood sample. We have previously used serial TEG analysis to define hypercoagulability and increased venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk following a major fracture requiring surgical treatment. Additionally, we have used serial TEG analysis to quantify the prolonged hypercoagulable state and increased VTE risk that ensues following a hip fracture. Recently developed cartridge-based platelet mapping (PLM) using TEG analysis can be used to activate platelets at either the adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor or at the Thromboxane A2 (AA) receptor, in order to evaluate clot strength when platelets are activated only through those specific receptors. This study aim was to evaluate platelet contribution to hypercoagulability, in order to identify potential therapeutic targets for VTE prevention. We hypothesized that there would be a platelet-predominant contribution to hypercoagulability following a hip fracture. Patients aged 50 years or older with a hip fracture treated surgically were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Exclusion criteria were: prior history of VTE, active malignancy, or pre-injury therapeutic dose anticoagulation. Serial TEG and PLM analyses were performed at admission, post-operative day (POD) 1, 3, 5, 7 and at 2-, 4-, 6- and 12-weeks post-operatively. All patients received thromboprophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for 28 days post-operatively. Hypercoagulability was defined as maximal amplitude (MA; a measure of clot strength) over 65mm based on TEG analysis. Independent samples t-tests were used to compare MA values with this previously established threshold and a mixed effects linear regression model was used to compare MA values over time. Independent samples t-tests and Chi-sqaured analyses were used to compare between the surgical fixation and arthroplasty groups. Forty-six patients with an acute hip fracture were included, with a mean age of 77.1 (SD = 10.6) years, with 61% (N=11) being female. Twenty-six were treated with arthroplasty (56.5%), while the remainder underwent surgical fixation of their hip fractures. TEG analysis demonstrated post-operative hypercoagulability (mean MA over 65mm) at all follow-up timepoints until 12-weeks. PLM identified a platelet-mediated hypercoagulable state based on elevated ADP-MA and AA-MA, with more pronounced platelet contribution demonstrated by the AA pathway. Patients treated with arthroplasty had significantly increased AA-MA compared with ADP-MA at POD 3 and at the 12-week follow-up. Thrombelastography can be used to identify hypercoagulability and increased risk for VTE following a hip fracture. Platelet mapping analysis from this pilot study suggests a platelet-mediated hypercoagulable state that may benefit from thromboprophylaxis using an anti-platelet agent that specifically targets the AA platelet activation pathway, such as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). This research also supports differences in hypercoagulability between patients treated with arthroplasty compared to those who undergo fracture fixation

Prolonged bedrest in hospitalized patients is a major risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), especially in high risk patients with hip fracture. Thrombelastography (TEG) is a whole blood viscoelastic hemostatic assay with evidence that an elevated maximal amplitude (MA), a measure of clot strength, is predictive of VTE in orthopaedic trauma patients. The objective of this study was to compare the TEG MA parameter between patients with hip fracture who were more mobile post-operatively and discharged from hospital early to patients with hip fracture with reduced mobility and prolonged hospitalizations post-operatively. In this prospective cohort study, TEG analysis was performed in patients with hip fracture every 24-hours from admission until post-operative day (POD) 5, then at 2- and 6-weeks post-operatively. Hypercoagulability was defined by MA > 65. Patients were divided into an early (within 5-day) and late (after 5-day) discharge group, inpatient at 2-weeks group, and discharge to MSK rehabilitation (MSK rehab), and long term care (LTC) groups. Two-sample t-test was used to analyze differences in MA between the early discharge and less mobile groups. All statistical tests were two-sided, and p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. In total, 121 patients with a median age of 81.0 were included. Patients in the early discharge group (n=15) were younger (median age 64.0) and more likely to ambulate without gait aids pre-injury (86.7%) compared to patients in the late discharge group (n=105), inpatients at 2-weeks (n=48), discharged to MSK rehab (n=30), and LTC (n=20). At two weeks post-operative, the early discharge group was significantly less hypercoagulable (MA=68.9, SD 3.0) compared to patients in the other four groups. At 6-weeks post-operative, the early discharge group was the only group to demonstrate a trend towards mean MA below the MA > 65 hypercoagulable threshold (MA=64.4, p=0.45). Symptomatic VTE events were detected in three patients (2.5%) post-operatively. All three patients had hospitalizations longer than five days after surgery. In conclusion, our analysis of hypercoagulability secondary to reduced post-operative mobility demonstrates that patients with hip fracture who were able to mobilize independently sooner after hip fracture surgery, have a reduced peak hypercoagulable state. In addition, there is a trend towards earlier return to normal coagulation status as determined by the TEG MA parameter. Post-operative mobility status may play a role in determining individualized duration of thromboprophylaxis following hip fracture surgery. Future studies comparing TEG to clinically validated mobility tools may more closely evaluate the contribution of venous stasis due to reduced mobility on hypercoagulation following hip fracture surgery

Prolonged bedrest in hospitalized patients is a major risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), especially in high risk patients with hip fracture. Thrombelastography (TEG) is a whole blood viscoelastic hemostatic assay with evidence that an elevated maximal amplitude (MA), a measure of clot strength, is predictive of VTE in orthopaedic trauma patients. The objective of this study was to compare the TEG MA parameter between patients with hip fracture who were more mobile post-operatively and discharged from hospital early to patients with hip fracture with reduced mobility and prolonged hospitalizations post-operatively. In this prospective cohort study, TEG analysis was performed in patients with hip fracture every 24-hours from admission until post-operative day (POD) 5, then at 2- and 6-weeks post-operatively. Hypercoagulability was defined by MA > 65. Patients were divided into an early (within 5-day) and late (after 5-day) discharge group, inpatient at 2-weeks group, and discharge to MSK rehabilitation (MSK rehab), and long term care (LTC) groups. Two-sample t-test was used to analyze differences in MA between the early discharge and less mobile groups. All statistical tests were two-sided, and p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. In total, 121 patients with a median age of 81.0 were included. Patients in the early discharge group (n=15) were younger (median age 64.0) and more likely to ambulate without gait aids pre-injury (86.7%) compared to patients in the late discharge group (n=105), inpatients at 2-weeks (n=48), discharged to MSK rehab (n=30), and LTC (n=20). At two weeks post-operative, the early discharge group was significantly less hypercoagulable (MA=68.9, SD 3.0) compared to patients in the other four groups. At 6-weeks post-operative, the early discharge group was the only group to demonstrate a trend towards mean MA below the MA > 65 hypercoagulable threshold (MA=64.4, p=0.45). Symptomatic VTE events were detected in three patients (2.5%) post-operatively. All three patients had hospitalizations longer than five days after surgery. In conclusion, our analysis of hypercoagulability secondary to reduced post-operative mobility demonstrates that patients with hip fracture who were able to mobilize independently sooner after hip fracture surgery, have a reduced peak hypercoagulable state. In addition, there is a trend towards earlier return to normal coagulation status as determined by the TEG MA parameter. Post-operative mobility status may play a role in determining individualized duration of thromboprophylaxis following hip fracture surgery. Future studies comparing TEG to clinically validated mobility tools may more closely evaluate the contribution of venous stasis due to reduced mobility on hypercoagulation following hip fracture surgery

Major orthopaedic fractures are an independent risk factor for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which are significant causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in trauma patients. Despite thromboprophylaxis, patients who sustain a pelvic or acetabular fracture (PA) continue to have high rates of VTE (12% incidence). Thrombelastography (TEG) is a whole-blood, point-of-care test which provides an overview of the clotting process. Maximal amplitude (MA), from TEG analysis, is the measure of clot strength and values ≥65mm have been used to quantify hypercoagulability and increased VTE risk. Therefore, the primary aim was to use serial TEG analysis to quantify the duration of hypercoagulability, following surgically treated PA fractures. This is a single centre, prospective cohort study of adult patients 18 years or older with surgically treated PA fractures. Consecutive patients were enrolled from a Level I trauma centre and blood draws were taken over a 3-month follow-up period for serial TEG analysis. Hypercoagulability was defined as MA ≥65mm. Exclusion criteria: bleeding disorders, active malignancy, current therapeutic anticoagulation, burns (>20% of body surface) and currently, or expecting to become pregnant within study timeframe. Serial TEG analysis was performed using a TEG6s hemostasis analyzer (Haemonetics Corp.) upon admission, pre-operatively, on post-operative day (POD) 1, 3, 5, 7 (or until discharged from hospital, whichever comes sooner), then in follow-up at 2-, 4-, 6-weeks and 3-months post-operatively. Patients received standardized thromboprophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin for 28 days post-operatively. VTE was defined as symptomatic DVT or PE, or asymptomatic proximal DVT, and all participants underwent a screening post-operative lower extremity Doppler ultrasound on POD3. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the association between VTE events and MA values. For the primary outcome measure, the difference between the MA threshold value (≥65mm) and serial MA measures, were compared using one-sided t-tests (α=0.05). Twenty-eight patients (eight females, 29%) with a mean age of 48±18 years were included. Acetabular fractures were sustained by 13 patients (46%), pelvic fractures by 14 patients (50%), and one patient sustained both. On POD1, seven patients (25%) were hypercoagulable, with 21 patients (78%) being hypercoagulable by POD3, and 17 patients (85%) by POD5. The highest average MA values (71.7±3.9mm) occurred on POD7, where eight patients (89%) were hypercoagulable. At 2-weeks post-operatively, 16 patients (94%) were hypercoagulable, and at four weeks, when thromboprophylaxis was discontinued, six patients (40%) remained hypercoagulable. Hypercoagulability persisted for five patients (25%) at 6-weeks and for two patients (10%) by three months. There were six objectively diagnosed VTE events (21.4%), five were symptomatic, with a mean MA value of 69.3mm±4.3mm at the time of diagnosis. Of the VTE events, four occurred in participants with acetabular fractures (three male, 75%) and two in those with pelvic fractures (both males). At 4-weeks post-operatively, when thromboprophylaxis is discontinued, 40% of patients remained hypercoagulable and likely at increased risk for VTE. At 3-months post-operatively, 10% of the cohort continued to be hypercoagulable. Serial TEG analysis warrants further study to help predict VTE risk and to inform clinical recommendations following PA fractures

Surgical management for acute or impending pathologic fractures in metastatic bone disease (MBD) places patients at high-risk for post-operative venous thromboembolism (VTE). Due to the combination of malignancy, systemic cancer treatment, and surgical treatment, VTE-risk is increased 7-fold in patients with MBD compared to non-cancer patients undergoing the same procedure. The extent and duration of post-operative hypercoagulability in patients with MBD remains unknown and thromboprophylaxis guidelines were developed for non-cancer patients, limiting their applicability to address the elevated VTE-risk in cancer patients. Thrombelastography (TEG) analysis is a point-of-care test that measures clot formation, stabilization, and lysis in whole blood samples. The TEG parameter, maximal amplitude (MA), indicates clot strength and the threshold of ≥65 mm has been used to define hypercoagulability and predict VTE events in non-cancer patients requiring orthopaedic surgery. Therefore, this study aims to quantify the extent and duration of post-operative hypercoagulability in patients with MBD using serial TEG analysis. Consecutive adults (≥18 years) with MBD who required orthopaedic surgery for acute or impending pathologic fractures were enrolled into this single-centre, prospective cohort study. Serial TEG analysis was performed onsite using a TEG®6s haemostasis analyzer (Haemonetics Corporation, Boston, MA) on whole blood samples collected at seven timepoints: pre-operatively; on post-operative day (POD) 1, 3, and 5; and at 2-, 6-, and 12-weeks post-operatively. Hypercoagulability was defined as MA ≥65 mm. Participants received standardized thromboprophylaxis for four weeks and patient-reported compliance with thromboprophylaxis was recorded. VTE was defined as symptomatic DVT or PE, or asymptomatic proximal DVT, and all participants underwent a screening post-operative lower extremity Doppler ultrasound on POD3. Descriptive statistics were performed and difference between pre-operative MA values of participants with VTE versus no VTE was evaluated using Student's t-test (p≤0.05). Twenty-one participants (10 female; 47.6%) with a mean age of 70 ± 12 years were enrolled. Nine different primary cancers were identified amongst participants, with breast (23.8%), colorectal (19.0%), and lung cancer (14.3%) most frequently reported. Most participants (57.1%) were hypercoagulable pre-operatively, and nearly half remained hypercoagulable at 6- and 12-weeks post-operatively (47.1 and 46.7%, respectively). VTE occurred in 5 patients (23.8%) and mean MA was 68.1 ± 4.6 mm at the time of diagnosis. Mean pre-operative MA values were significantly higher (p=0.02) in patients who experienced VTE (68.9 ± 3.5 mm) compared to those who did not (62.7 ± 6.5 mm). VTE incidence was highest in the first week post-operatively, during which time four VTE events (80%) occurred. The proportion of patients in a hypercoagulable state increased at three consecutive timepoints, beginning on POD3 (85.0%), increasing on POD5 (87.5%), and peaking at 2-weeks post-operatively (88.9%). Current thromboprophylaxis guidelines do not consider cancer-associated risk factors that contribute to increased VTE incidence and prescription duration may be inadequate to address prolonged post-operative hypercoagulability in patients with MBD. The high rate of VTE events observed and sustained hypercoagulable state indicate that thromboprophylaxis may be prematurely terminated while patients remain at high risk for VTE. Therefore, extending thromboprophylaxis duration beyond 4-weeks post-operatively in patients with MBD warrants further investigation

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious complication after total hip and knee arthroplasty. There is still no consensus regarding the best mode of thromboprophylaxis after lower limb arthroplasty. The aim of this study was to ascertain the efficacy, safety profile and rate of adverse thromboembolic events of aspirin as extended out of hospital pharmacological anticoagulation for elective primary total hip and knee arthroplasty patients and whether these rates were comparable with published data for low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). Data was extracted from a prospective hospital acquired thromboembolism (HAT) database. The period of study was from 1st Jan 2013-31st Dec 2016 and a total of 6078 patients were treated with aspirin as extended thromboprophylaxis after primary total hip and knee arthroplasty. The primary outcome measure of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism within 90 days postoperatively was 1.11%. The secondary outcome rates of wound infection, bleeding complications, readmission rate and mortality were comparable to published results after LMWH use. The results of this study clearly show that Aspirin, as part of a multimodal thromboprophylactic regime, is an effective and safe regime in preventing VTE with respect to risk of DVT or PE when compared to LMWH. It is a cheaper alternative to LMWH and has associated potential cost savings

In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), both intravenous (IV) and/or intra-articular (IA) administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) were showed to reduce blood loss. Moreover, research suggesting TXA decreases postoperative knee swelling, but it is unknown whether this results in improved postoperative rehabilitation outcome. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether combined IV and IA administration of TXA would associate with improved early rehabilitation outcomes. In this institutional review board approved randomized controlled trial, 179 patients scheduled for unilateral TKA were randomized to one of three regimens: (1) IA administration of 1gm TXA at end of procedure only, (2) additional preoperative IV dose of 15 mg/kg 30min before tourniquet inflation, and (3) additional postoperative dose 4hrs after preoperative dose. Primary outcomes included knee range of motion, Knee Society Score (KSS) at 6-month postoperatively, haemoglobin drop at day-2 post-operatively, and transfusion rate. Secondary outcome was venous thromboembolism (VTE) complications. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the allocation groups. Patients in regimen (3) showed statistically significant better knee extension range (6.2°, 5.9°, 2.9°, p=0.01), and KSS (88.5, 89.9, 93.0, p=0.02) at 6-month postoperatively, and lesser drop in haemoglobin at day-2 post-operatively (2.72, 2.47, 1.75 g/dL, p=0) when compared with patients in other regimens. No patients required transfusion, or complicated by VTE. The combined administration of IA and IV TXA, including both preoperative and postoperative doses, associated with statistically significantly improved early rehabilitation outcomes. The improvement may be related to higher haemoglobin level and decreased knee swelling in patients having regimen (3). For any reader queries, please contact . cpk464@yahoo.com.hk

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

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) should be individualised in order to maximise the efficacy of prophylactic measures while avoiding the adverse events associated with the use of anticoagulants. At our institution, we have developed a scoring model using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, which is validated against our institutional data, to stratify patients into low- and high-risk groups for VTE. Low-risk patients are placed on aspirin 81 mg twice daily for four weeks post-operatively, and high-risk patients are placed on either a Vitamin K antagonist (warfarin), low molecular weight heparin, or other oral anticoagulants for four weeks post-operatively. All patients receive sequential pneumatic compression devices post-operatively, and patients are mobilised with physical therapy on the day of surgery. Patients who have a history of peptic ulcer disease or allergy to aspirin are also considered for other types of anticoagulation following surgery. Risk Stratification Criteria. Major comorbid risk factors utilised in our risk stratification model include history of hypercoagulability or previous VTE, active cancer or history of non-cutaneous malignancy, history of stroke, and pulmonary hypertension. We consider patients with any of these risk factors at elevated risk of VTE and therefore candidates for formal anticoagulation. Other minor risk factors include older age, bilateral surgery compared with unilateral, inflammatory bowel disease, varicose veins, obstructive sleep apnea, and history of myocardial infarction, myeloproliferative disorders, and congestive heart failure. Each minor criterion is associated with a score. The cumulative score is compared with a defined threshold and the score that surpasses the threshold indicates that the patient should receive post-operative anticoagulation. To facilitate the use of this scoring system, an iOS mobile application (VTEstimator) has been developed and can be downloaded from the app store

Introduction. Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) resulting from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), remains a well-known serious complication after femoral fractures. The low molecular heparin is widely used to prevent VTE. This study compared the effectiveness of VTE prevention between dalteparin and enoxaparin. Materials and Methods. From 2013 to 2014, we retrospectively recruited 712 patients who had femoral fractures with operative treatment. All patients receiving VTE chemoprophylaxis with perioperative period using dalateparin in Group 1(N=395) and enoxaparin in Group 2(N=317). The prophylactic dosing was determined using individual product labeling and identified as enoxaparin 40 mg every 12 hours and dalteparin 2500 international unit (IU) once daily, based on clinical practice guidelines. The prophylaxis was started at admission, and maintained during average 8.43.5 days after operation. The outcome including the incidence of clinically significant deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, perioperative bleeding and cost of drugs were evaluated between two groups. Results. The two study groups did not differ significantly in fracture type, age, gender, ASA score. The overall incidence of VTE is similar between two groups. However, the incidence of fatal PE is significantly lower in patients with dalteparin (Group 1: 4/395(1.00%), Group 2: 10/317(3.15%), p<0.001). And the overall cost of each group is significantly different between two groups (Group 1: average KRW 89,426, Group 2: average KRW 32,188, p<0.001). Conclusion. Both dalteparin and enoxaparin could be safely used without notable complications in VTE prophylaxis. However, dalteparin had more advantages for prevention of fatal PE, compared to enoxaparin in patients with femoral fractures with significant cost effectiveness

Background. This retrospective analysis was prompted by the authors' observation of the relatively high incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures. Method. 88 patients were treated surgically for an acute Achilles tendon rupture. No prophylactic anticoagulation was given to any patients. The incidence of VTE was then reviewed retrospectively. Results. Five patients developed symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (5.7%) and one a near-fatal pulmonary embolus (1.1%). There were no major bleeding or cardiovascular adverse events. One patient developed a thrombus of the the lesser saphenous vein (1.1%) and there was one superficial sepsis (1.1%). A temporary peroneal nerve palsy occurred in one patient (1.1%). There were two re-ruptures (2.3%). Conclusion. There is no doubt that thromboprophylaxis must be given to the high risk patient and is also recommended for major orthopaedic surgery. Limited data is available for the use of thromboprophylaxis in foot and ankle surgery. In light of the unacceptably high incidence of venous thromboembolism in this study, the authors suggest that routine venous thromboembolism prophylaxis should be considered for these patients. MULTIPLE DISCLOSURES

Thromboprophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) after elective arthroplasty remains controversial. Previous surveys have shown considerable variation amongst orthopaedic surgeons, and the topic is still being debated. Chest physicians recently advocated that randomised data demonstrating a risk reduction with long- established thromboprophylaxis have been ignored by orthopaedic surgeons. We present the current thromboprophylaxis practice amongst AOA members performing elective hip and knee replacements and discuss its rationale. All orthopaedic surgeons in the AOA were asked to complete a one page postal questionnaire asking for information regarding: whether they performed elective hip or knee arthroplasty, which methods of mechanical and/or chemical prophylaxis were routinely used, the time frame in ceasing thromboprophylaxis, the motive in using thromboprophylaxis, and whether thromboprophylaxis guidelines released by the AOA or RACS would be helpful in their orthopaedic practice. Responses from the survery are currently being collected and analysed. These results will be ready for presentation at the AOA conference. The results of the survey will be presented in addition to a discussion of the rationale behind current use of post-operative thromboprophylaxis for elective hip and knee arthroplasty and a need for clinical guidelines

Since NICE issued guidance on preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE), the use of chemoprophylaxis has increased dramatically in trauma and orthopaedics. However, enthusiasm is tempered by a lack of data regarding the true incidence of VTE in everyday practice. We investigated the epidemiology of VTE among ambulatory patients with lower limb injuries within our Trust. We identified all patients who suffered pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) over an 18 month period, and cross-referenced them with our trauma database. All lower limb injuries were included, whether operated or not. Hip fractures routinely receive dalteparin and were excluded. There were 11,594 new attendances or post-operative attendances in all fracture clinics over 18 months. Of these, 4530 had lower limb injuries and were immobilised. There were 21 DVTs and 7 PEs in these patients, an incidence of 0.43% and 0.14% respectively. Of note, three DVTs were in patients with Achilles tendon rupture. The incidence of symptomatic VTE is low in a population of ambulant patients with lower limb injuries in casts, without chemical thromboprophylaxis. Prophylaxis for VTE would thus have a large number needed to treat. The costs and complications of chemoprophylaxis should also be considered before it is introduced universally

Purpose. The hip fracture has been increasing as the aging population continues to grow. Hip fracture patients are more susceptible to blood loss and venous thromboembolism (VTE). The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid (TXA) in fracture patients undergoing fast-track hemiarthroplasty. Methods. 609 hip fracture patients undergoing hemiarthropalsty from January 2013 to September 2016 were prospectively selected. 289 patients received 15 mg/kg TXA prior to surgery, and the remaining 320 patients received no TXA. All the patients received a fast-track program including nutrition management, blood management, pain management, VTE prophylaxis and early mobilization and early intake. The primary outcome was transfusion requirement, other parameters such as blood loss, hemoglobin (Hb) level, VTE, adverse events and length of hospital stay were also compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and meta-analysis were also performed to identify the risk factors of transfusion and confirm the results of current study. Results. Transfusion of at least 1U of erythrocyte blood cell occurred in 25 patients (8.65%) in treatment group and in 77 (24.06%, OR=0.299, p<0.001) in control group. The mean level of Hb on POD 1 (111.70±18.40 g/L) and POD 3 (108.16±17.25 g/L) in TXA group were higher than control group (107.29±18.70 g/L, p= 0.008; 104.22±15.16 g/L, p= 0.005 respectively). More patients get off bed to ambulate within 24 hours after surgery in TXA group (37.02% Vs 26.25%, p= 0.004). And the length of hospital stay was shorter (11.82±4.39 Vs 15.96±7.30, p= 0.003). No statistical significance were detected regarding VTE and other adverse events. Logistic regression analysis showed that the relative odds reduction after adjustment for these covariates was 67% (OR= 0.327, 95%CIs= 0.197 to 0.544) in favor of tranexamic acid. Other risk factors included preoperative hemoglobin level, operation time, VTE prophylaxis. Pooling the data showed that tranexamic acid led to a significant reduction in transfusion (OR= 0.33, 95%CIs= 0.25 to 0.43) without sacrificing safety (OR= 0.70, 95%CIs= 0.25 to 1.97). Conclusion. Tranexamic acid was effective and safe to reduce blood loss and transfusion in geriatric hip fracture patients undergoing fast-track hemiarthroplasty

Surgeons want to counsel their patients accurately about the risks of rare complications. This is difficult for venous thromboembolism (VTE), as most studies report rates of asymptomatic disease. We calculated the rate of confirmed, symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) after elective lower limb surgery in our hospital. We scrutinised referrals for venous Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography pulmonary angiography, identifying all cases of DVT or PE over an 18 month period. These patients were cross-referenced with our elective orthopaedic database and Healthcare Resource Group coding data. Out of 1071 total hip replacements, there were three DVTs and two PEs, giving an incidence of 0.28% for DVT and 0.19% for PE. Out of 1351 total knee replacements, there were four DVTs and three PEs (incidence 0.29% and 0.22% respectively). Out of 1988 non-arthroplasty hip and knee procedures, there were no DVTs and two PEs (incidence 0.1%). For 1763 elective surgical foot procedures, there were five DVTs (incidence 0.28%), and no PEs. Currently, Rivaroxaban is offered to patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery, but other patients do not receive anticoagulants routinely. Our low incidence of VTE supports this policy and is reassuring for surgeons

D-dimer is one of the useful laboratory tests to evaluate the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after the total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The most recent guideline for the prophylaxis of VTE points out the surgical procedure itself is a major risk factor for developing VTE. Only a few literatures discuss the relationship of surgical procedures and the risk of venous thromboembolism. We therefore prospectively compare the difference of the perioperative plasma D-dimer levels between the patients undergoing navigation and convention TKA. Two hundred consecutive total knee arthroplasties were performed between September 2011 and March 2013. The patients were randomised according to their registration to the orthopaedic clinic. Ninety-six patients (100 knees) underwent a navigation-assisted TKA and ninety-four patients (100 knees) had a conventional TKA. No intramedullary violation was done in the navigation-assisted TKA, while the intramedullary femoral guiding was adapted in the conventional group. Pre-operative and post-operation day 1 plasma D-dimer levels were recorded and evaluated using Mann-Whitney U test. There was no difference in the demographic data and pre-operative D-dimer between the two groups (p=0.443). Significantly lower D-dimer levels on the post-operative day 1 were noted in the navigation group, when compared with the conventional group. (6.0 ± 4.4 mg/L vs 11.3 ± 9.6 mg/L, p = 0.000). We demonstrated that lower D-dimer level is developed after the navigation-assisted TKA than the conventional one. Less incidence of VTE is expected and the finding may help to explain the fact that less systemic emboli in the navigation assisted TKA

Objective. The optimal dosage and timing of tranexamic acid in total hip arthroplasty (THA) still is undetermined. Previous studies showed the hyper-fibrinolysis would last for 18 hours after surgery. The study aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of multiple bolus of intravenous TXA on hidden blood loss and inflammation response following primary THA. Methods. 150 patients were randomly divided into three groups to receive single bolus of 20 mg/kg IV-TXA before skin incision (Group A), or another bolus of 1 g IV-TXA 3 hours later (Group B), or another two boluses of 1g IV-TXA 3 hours and 6 hours later (Group C). All patients received a standard perioperative enhanced recovery protocol. The primary outcomes was hidden blood loss. Other outcome measurements such as hemoglobin level, total blood loss, transfusion rate, inflammation markers (CRP, IL-6), VAS pain score, length of hospital stay (LOH) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) were also compared. Results. The hidden blood loss in group C was 402.13 ± 225.97 ml, which was less than that in group A (679.28±277.16 ml, p< 0.001) and group B (560.62±295.22 ml, p= 0.010). However, such difference was not detected between group A and B (p= 0.072). The mean value of total blood loss in group A, B and C were 1090.78±251.41, 979.42±247.89, 768.71±180.19 ml, respectively, with a significant intergroup difference (p <0.001). The Hb drop on postoperative day (POD) 3 in group A, B and C was 30.82±6.31, 27.16±6.83, 21.98±3.72 g/L, and the difference between groups was significant (p <0.001). Only one patients received red blood cell transfusion. The mean level of CRP in group C was lower than that in group A and B on POD 2 (p= 0.000, p= 0.034), POD 3 (p= 0.000, p= 0.014). The serum level of IL-6 in group C was lower than group A on POD 1, POD 2 and POD 3 (p=0.017, p=0.023, p= 0.005; respectively). The patients in group C had slightly less postoperative pain. The LOH in group C was shorter than those in group A (p= 0.023). No episodes of VTE or other adverse events occurred in any patient. Conclusion. Multiple boluses of IV-TXA can effectively reduce hidden blood loss following primary THA. What is the most important is that, by adding another boluses of IV-TXA, patients can gain a smaller decline of Hb, less postoperative inflammation response, less pain and shorter length of hospital stay

A national quality improvement initiative identified potentially avoidable complications, including venous thromboembolism (VTE) as “never events.” While the intent of this designation was to improve system-wide performance and to decrease medical costs, its value in total joint arthroplasty has not been defined. We performed this study to assess the relative incidence of VTE related admissions following TKA, the relative costs associated with care directed towards this complication, and compliance with SCIP VTE prophylaxis guidelines. From a total of 2,221 TKA procedures accomplished over a 5 year interval, we identified 121 hospital readmissions (5.4 percent). Primary readmission diagnoses were obtained from hospital coding and physician medical record documentation. Readmissions were categorised into five major complication types: 1) limited motion, 2) noninfectious wound complications, 3) bleeding complications, 4) deep infections, and 5) VTE events. VTE chemoprophylaxis was reviewed to determine the agent utilised, therapeutic level, and duration. Hospital records were assessed to determine whether additional surgeries or other procedures were accomplished and whether patients received allogeneic transfusions during their readmission. Direct costs of readmission care were obtained from hospital reimbursement records. Limited motion (18%), non-infectious wound complication (14%), surgical site infection (10%), and bleeding (10%) were the most common reasons for readmission. VTE events were less frequent (3%) and all occurred despite standard of care prophylaxis. The cost to manage bleeding, wound complications, infection, and limited motion each exceeded the cost of VTE. These results challenge the identification of VTE as a “never event.”

Introduction. We investigated the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and pulmonary embolism (PE) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and assessed the efficacy and complications of three different chemical prophylactic regimens. Materials and Methods. From May, 2011 to November 2013, 268 patients, 330 knees were randomly allocated to three groups, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) 5000IU for 2 days followed by aspirin 100mg for 5 days (Group HA, 110 knees), rivaroxaban 10mg for 7 days (Group X7, 110 knees), or for 10 days (Group X10, 110 knees) postoperatively. Intermittent pneumatic compression device was applied on all patients. The multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) was done at postoperative 10 days to evaluate VTE (PE & DVT separately), and MDCT was rechecked to evaluate the changes of VTE at postoperative 3 months in VTE patients. Additionally, major and minor bleeding complications, amounts of bleeding, and bruise around wound were checked. Results. The incidence of VTE was 42 (38.2%) in Group HA, 22 (20.0%) in Group X7, 11 (10.0%) in Group X10. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was revealed 39 (35.5%) in Group HA, 17 (15.5%) in Group X7, 8 (7.3%) in Group X10. Group HA showed statistically higher prevalence in VTE and DVT than rivaroxavan groups. PE was detected 21 (19.1%) in Group HA, 11 (10.0%) in Group X7, 3 (2.7%) in Group X10. Group X10 was statistically significantly lower PE incidence than Group HA (p=0.0001) and Group X7 (p=0.027). Asymptomatic distal DVT was completely resolved in 88.8% with no specific treatment. There was no major or minor bleeding complications and bleeding amounts were not statistically different in 3 groups. Conclusion. Rivaroxaban has better prophylactic efficacy with no increasing bleeding complications than LMWH followed by aspirin. Ten days rivaroxaban was more effective for PE and VTE prevention than 7 days rivaroxavan. However, most of reduced VTEs were asymptomatic and distal DVTs