Incidence of venous thrombo-embolism following arthroplasties in lower limbs in Indian population: A prospective study by using colour Doppler imaging

Abstract

Introduction: Osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint disorder and is the leading cause of pain and physical disability in older individuals. Osteoarthritis typically presents at joints related to the knees and hips, beside the hands, spine and feet. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) can occur in patients after elective Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and Hemi-Arthroplasty of hip. The Indian population have a low incidence of DVT and PE in comparison with the western population due to difference in ethnicity, genetic make-up and social life.Aim: To find the incidence of venous thrombo-embolism (VTE) following lower limb arthroplasties and probable risk factors associated with the development of the disease. Method: It is a prospective observational cohort study conducted on all the patients of either sex/gender undergoing any type of primary Arthroplasty in the lower limbs i.e., Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and Hemi-Arthroplasty of hip in the department of Orthopaedics at Vydehi Institute of Medical Science and Research centre, Bangalore. A total of 100 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in present study. Results: Total of 100 patients was included in present study, among them 14% of the patients underwent Hemi-Arthroplasty of hip, 35% underwent THA and 51% had undergone TKA. Incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in our study was found to be 6%. About 14.29% of Hemi-Arthroplasty of hip patients had VTE, 2.86% of THA and 5.88% of TKA had venous thrombo-embolism. Among the 6 cases that developed VTE, 83.3% (5 cases) had deep vein thrombosis and 16.7% (1 case) had pulmonary embolism. Conclusion: Our results suggest that incidence of DVT and PE is low in the Indian population with a prophylactic regimen when used.