Tissue injury during hip surgery results in the activation of the haemostatic system. The aim of this study was to detect markers of haemostatic activity, i.e. prothrombin fragment 1 and 2 (Fl+2), thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes, fibrin degradation products (FbDP), and soluble fibrin monomers (SF), preoperatively, and on days 1, 7 and 35 in plasma of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. The study was part of a mul-ticentre study in which the patients were randomized to receive a subcutanous injection of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH, dalteparin, Fragmin®) once daily for 5 weeks or placebo following a 1-week LMWH treatment (once daily). Bilateral phlebography was performed between days 33 and 35 or before if patients had clinical symptoms of deep vein thrombosis. A lung scan was performed in patients with clinical symptoms of pulmonary embolism. Levels of the markers were significantly increased on day 35 in the patients receiving LMWH for 7 days compared to patients receiving LMWH for 35 days. In patients receiving LMWH for 5 weeks, levels of FbDP and SF were significantly higher during the entire study period, but TAT and Fl+2 were normalized on day 35. The markers were increased two to five times on the 1 st postoperative day in patients with diagnosed venous thromboembo-lism.