Incidence of venographically proved deep vein thrombosis after knee arthroscopy.

Abstract

VENOUS thromboembolism is a common and clinically important complication of major orthopedic surgery. For example, patients who undergo hip or knee arthroplasty and do not receive thromboprophylaxis have an overall rate of deep vein thrombosis of 40% to 70%.^1-4 Complications of deep vein thrombosis include pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal, and postphlebitic syndrome, often associated with considerable morbidity. Several pharmacological and mechanical methods of prophylaxis have been evaluated, which reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis after hip or knee arthroplasty by 50% to 80%. It is now standard practice to use thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing such surgery.