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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

A Multicenter MRI Protocol for the Evaluation and Quantification of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Published on: June 2, 2015
Incidence of deep vein thrombosis after arthroscopic knee surgery: a prospective study
J S Williams1, M J Hulstyn, P D Fadale
1Department of Orthopaedics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Abstract:
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) with subsequent pulmonary emboli (PE) is the most life-threatening complication of knee arthroscopy. Although the incidence of clinically diagnosed DVT after arthroscopy is low, clinical examination is less sensitive and specific than other diagnostic modalities for the detection of venous clot. This study used compression ultrasound to prospectively evaluate patients before and after arthroscopic surgery for the presence of DVT. Preoperatively, patients were screened for DVT risk factors. Eighty-five patients completed the study. Three asymptomatic "silent" DVTs were identified, for an incidence of 3.5%. There was no statistically significant difference between those with and without risk factors for the development of DVT.
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