Activity, air boots, and aspirin as thromboembolism prophylaxis in knee arthroplasty. A multiple regimen approach

In this prospective study 90 patients underwent 100 total knee replacements. Each patient walked and practiced rehabilitation exercises one day preoperatively and the morning of surgery. The contralateral calf was intermittently pumped during surgery followed by bilateral pulsatile calf compression postoperatively. Aspirin was administered in the recovery room and continued 600 mg twice a day until discharge. Early activity and ambulation postoperatively were expected. Routine deep venous thrombosis screening tests were not performed. No physiologically significant postoperative venous thrombosis on any of these patients were observed. A Doppler test was performed on eight patients, venogram on two patients, and V/Q lung scan on two patients in whom a thromboembolic disease problem was clinically suspected. All of these tests were negative except for one V/Q scan.