Frequency and Associated Factors of Venous Thromboembolism in Cervical Spine Surgery

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a well-known complication after spine surgery. As many cases of cervical spine disease result in severe gait disturbance due to myelopathy, it may harbor a higher risk of VTE than other spinal disorders. However, few studies have focused primarily on cervical spine surgery to date. This investigation sought to determine the prevalence of VTE after cervical spine surgery and identify patient-based risk factors.

The medical data of 341 consecutive patients (240 men and 101 women; mean age, 68.1 years) who underwent cervical spine surgery were retrospectively examined. Logistic regression models were employed to examine the prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors of postoperative VTE.

In this study, 2.6% of cervical spine surgery patients experienced postoperative VTE. In comparisons of VTE and non-VTE groups, significant differences were found for age (79.6 years vs 67.7 years, P < 0.01), 1-week postoperative D-dimer level (10.6 μg/mL vs 2.7 μg/mL, P < 0.01), and cardiovascular disease (44.4% vs 11.1%, P = 0.011). Multivariate analysis identified elevated postoperative D-dimer level and cardiovascular disease as significantly associated with postsurgical VTE with respective odds ratios of 1.54 and 9.52.

Postoperative VTE in cervical spine surgery was seen in 2.6% of cases. Patients with elevated postoperative D-dimer level and cardiovascular disease may be at increased risk of VTE and may require additional observation.

Spine surgeons should take into account that patients with elevated postoperative D-dimer levels and cardiovascular disease may be at increased risk for VTE.