Surveillance for venous thromboembolic disease after total knee arthroplasty

The value of deep venous thrombosis screening after total knee arthroplasty is controversial. The purpose of the current study was to examine the value of routine surveillance for venous thrombosis after total knee arthroplasty done with modern operative and perioperative treatment. Computerized search engines were used to identify papers published between 1985 and July 2000 relevant to the purpose of the study. Papers that met the inclusion criteria for review were categorized as follows: the frequency of deep venous thrombosis; the natural history of deep venous thrombosis; the accuracy of screening methods for venous thrombosis; and efficacy of screening in reducing morbidity attributable to venous thromboembolism after total knee arthroplasty. Several studies have shown a low complication rate related to venous thromboembolic disease when compression ultrasound is used for screening as part of a clinical algorithm after knee arthroplasty. However, the only large prospective randomized trial evaluating ultrasound screening failed to show a reduction in morbidity with a surveillance protocol. The benefits of surveillance depend on factors specific to each surgeon's practice including the type and duration of venous prophylaxis, the rate of symptomatic and asymptomatic thromboembolic disease associated with that protocol, and the accuracy of screening tests used for surveillance.