Knee Replacement Surgery, Knee Surgery, Total Knee Arthroplasty

Knee Replacement Surgery

Major orthopaedic surgery involving the lower extremity — hip or knee replacement surgery or hip fracture surgery — is associated with a high risk of venous thromboembolic disease (VTE).
VTE is the most frequent serious complication following knee replacement surgery. It is the most common cause for rehospitalisation in this patient group.3, 19
Learn more about knee replacement surgery and thrombosis.

Knee Surgery

Studies of the natural history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after orthopaedic surgery have shown that, in many patients, venous thrombosis causes no symptoms. Because of ongoing venous stasis during the recovery period, some thrombi expand. These thrombi may break free to cause pulmonary embolism (PE), often after the patient leaves the hospital.3 Current recommendations regarding the duration of anticoagulation following hip and knee surgery are based on this understanding of the chronology of VTE.3
Learn more about knee surgery and thrombosis.

Total Knee Arthroplasty

The duration of anticoagulation needed to prevent DVT after hospital discharge is an important aspect of care. Current guidelines recommend extending prophylaxis for 10 days after knee arthroplasty and for four to six weeks after hip arthroplasty and hip fracture surgery. Extending prophylaxis for four weeks is also recommended for patients after abdominal cancer surgery.3, 60, 62 However, in practice, many patients may not receive this duration of treatment.118
Learn more about total knee arthroplasty .
Find out more about knee replacement surgery, knee surgery, and total knee arthroplasty.
See also: Embolism Pulmonary Sign
See also: Apixaban
  • 3 - Geerts WH, Pineo GF, Heit JA, et al. Prevention of venous thromboembolism: the Seventh ACCP Conference on Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy. Chest. 2004;126(3 suppl):338S-400S.
  • 19 - Harkess JW, Arthroplasty of hip. In: Canale ST, ed. Campbell’s Operative Orthopedics. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby, Inc; 2003. Available at www.mdconsult.com. Accessed February 12, 2008.
  • 60 - Nicolaides AN, Fareed J, Kakkar AK, et al. Prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism. International Consensus Statement (guidelines according to scientific evidence). Int Angiol. 2006;25(2):101-161.
  • 62 - Lyman GH, Khorana AA, Falanga A, et al; American Society of Clinical Oncology. American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline: recommendations for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and treatment in patients with cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(34):5490-5505.
  • 118 - Anderson FA Jr, Hirsh J, White K, Fitzgerald RH Jr; Hip and Knee Registry Investigators. Temporal trends in prevention of venous thromboembolism following primary total hip or knee arthroplasty 1996-2001: findings from the Hip and Knee Registry. Chest. 2003;124(6 suppl):349S-356S.