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Minerva Medica 2010 February;101(1):49-58

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in orthopedic surgery

Giuseppini M. U., Guiducci S., Bardelli M. ✉

Dipartimento di Ortopedia e Traumatologia Chirurgia O.S.M.A., Bagno a Ripoli, Firenze, Italia

The patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery, which includes total hip replacement (THR), total knee replacement (TKR), and hip fracture surgery (HFS), represent a group that has a particularly high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), and routine thromboprophylaxis has been standard of care for >20 years. The following article summarizes data derived from numerous randomized clinical trials of thromboprophylaxis following THR, TKR, and HFS; areas of orthopedic surgery for which there are much less data, including knee arthroscopy and isolated lower extremity injuries, are also reviewed.