Thromboembolic Disease in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement

In a prospective study fo the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis in thirty patients undergoing total knee replacement, all patients had clinical examinations and 125I fibrinogen scanning, while those suspected of having deep venous thrombosis also had confirmatory venography. Sixteen (53 per cent) of the thirty patients had thromboembolic disease; nine had thrombi only in the limb operated on; four had bilateral deep venous thrombi; and three had pulmonary embolism. In nine patients who took aspirin regularly the incidence of thromboembolism was 11 per cent, while in the eight who did not take aspirin or any other antiplatelet drug the incidence was 88 per cent, a difference which was highly significant (p = 0.003).