Skip to main content

Table 4 VTE incidence and all-cause mortality in relation to the surgical procedure

From: Symptomatic venous thromboembolism and mortality in orthopaedic surgery – an observational study of 45 968 consecutive procedures

  Mortality All VTE PE DVT Rate of proximal DVT -n (%) † Rate of post-discharge VTE – n (%)
(n = 1094) – n (%) (n = 513) –n (%; 95% CI) (n = 123)– n (%; 95% CI) (n = 399) – n (%; 95% CI)
Hip replacement* 122 (3.0; 2.6-3.6) 80 (2.0; 1.6-2.5) 29 (0.7; 0.5-1.0) 53 (1.3; 1.0-1.7) 33 (70) 72 (90)
(all indications)
Knee replacement* 1 (0.1; 0.01-0.5) 49 (3.7; 2.8-5.0) 3 (0.2; 0.1-0.7) 47 (3.6; 2.7-4.8) 14 (30) 25 (57)
(all indications)
Spine surgery (all indications)* 8 (0.6; 0.3-1.2) 4 (0.3; 0.1-0.8) 3 (0.2; 0.1-0.7) 1 (0.1; 0.01-0.5) 1 (100) 3 (75)
Lower Limb Amputation* 150 (16.3; 13.8-19.1) 8 (0.9; 0.4-1.7) 7 (0.8; 0.4-1.6) 2 (0.2; 0.05-0.9) 0 3 (38)
Pelvic and lower limb fractures - IF 655 (5.1; 4.8-5.6) 232 (1.8; 1.6-2.1) 63 (0.5; 0.4-0.6) 170 (1.3; 1.1-1.6) 48 (31)‡ 199 (86) §
(excl. foot fractures)
Knee arthroscopy 4 (0.1; 0.02-0.2) 28 (0.5; 0.3-0.7) 3 (0.05; 0.02-0.2) 28 (0.5; 0.3-0.7) 14 (52) 24 (83)
Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction* 0 3 (0.5; 0.1-1.4) 0 3 (0.5; 0.1-1.4) 1 (33) 3 (100)
Achilles tendon ruptures 0 55 (7.2; 5.5-9.4) 0 55 (7.2; 5.5-9.4) 8 (15) 55 (100)
Foot surgery 1 (0.04; <0.01-0.3) 16 (0.7; 0.4-1.1) 1 (0.04; <0.01-0.3) 15 (0.6; 0.4-1.0) 0 15 (94)
Upper extremity surgery 34 (0.4; 0.3-0.5) 15 (0.2; 0.1-0.3) 8 (0.1; 0.05-0.2) 7 (0.1; 0.04-0.2) 5 (83) 12 (86)
Miscellaneous procedures in the lower limb 26 (2.0; 1.3-2.9) 19 (1.4; 0.9-2.2) 4 (0.3; 0.1-0.8) 17 (1.3; 0.8-2.1) 8 (47) 15 (79)
Minor surgery 93 (1.6; 1.3-2.0) 5 (0.1; 0.04-0.2) 2 (0.03; 0.01-0.1) 3 (0.1; 0.02-0.2) 1 (33) 3 (60)
  1. IF Internal fixation.
  2. * Thromboprophylaxis given according to protocol.
  3. † Based on 374 DVTs with defined distribution of the DVTs.
  4. ‡ Rate of proximal DVT was 53% (n = 31) for pelvis and femur fractures, 20% (n = 5) for tibia fractures and 16% (n = 12) for ankle fractures.
  5. § Rate of post-discharge VTE was 85% (n = 97) for pelvis and femur fractures, 72% (n = 21) for tibia fractures and 91% (n = 81) for ankle fractures.
Back to article page

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

ISSN: 1471-2474

Contact us