The incidence of proximal deep vein thrombosis following total knee arthroplasty in an Asian population: A Doppler ultrasound study

S Nathan, Md A Aleem, P Thiagarajan, S Das De
Department of Orthopaedics, National University Hospital, Singapore

PURPOSE. To investigate the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) following total knee arthroplasty in an Asian population.

METHODS. A prospective study of 149 consecutive cases of total knee arthroplasty done for osteoarthritis was conducted over a 5-year period. All patients underwent duplex ultrasonographic assessment of the lower limbs within the first postoperative week.

RESULTS. The incidence of proximal DVT was found to be 4.38% in this study. Symptomology was statistically significant in predicting the presence of proximal DVT in all cases. General anaesthesia was associated with a statistically significant-higher incidence of DVT as compared with regional anaesthesia. There was a significant association between a sedentary lifestyle and the development of DVT.

CONCLUSION. The incidence of proximal DVT in Asian patients after total knee arthroplasty is higher than that previously reported for this demographic group.