Prevalence and Risk Factors of Thromboembolism After Joint Arthroplasty Without Chemical Thromboprophylaxis in an Asian Population

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious complication after major orthopedic surgery. This study examined the prevalence and risk factors of VTE in patients undergoing arthroplasty without thromboprophylaxis. A total of 1608 patients who underwent elective knee or hip arthroplasty between 1996 and 2009 were evaluated. The incidence of VTE was 1.99% (n = 32). Of them, 0.24% (n = 4) were diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. The risk factors associated with VTE were female sex, revision surgery, bilateral simultaneous procedure, CVA (cerebrovascular accident; thromboembolic stroke) history, and preoperative platelet count (all P > .05). There was an annual increase in the prevalence of VTE from 1996 to 2009 (P = .002). According to these results, thromboprophylaxis is strongly recommended in high-risk groups of Korean arthroplasty patients.