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Thromb Haemost 1994; 72(05): 663-665
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1648938
Original Article
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Plasma D-Dimer as a Marker for Postoperative Deep Venous Thrombosis

A Study after Total Hip or Knee Arthroplasty
Irene D Dunn
1   The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
,
Anthony C W Hui
1   The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
,
Paul D Triffitt
1   The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
,
Ann E C Crozier
2   The Department of Radiology, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
,
Paul J Gregg
1   The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
,
Marie E Sinclair
3   The Department of Haematology, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
,
A Lynn Armstrong
3   The Department of Haematology, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
,
Vivian E Mitchell
3   The Department of Haematology, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 10 December 1993

Accepted after resubmission 15 July 1994

Publication Date:
06 July 2018 (online)

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Summary

Plasma levels of D-dimer have been found useful as a marker of deep venous thrombosis in those patients in whom thrombosis is suspected, but their usefulness in postoperative screening is less clear. We have investigated the relationship of D-dimer to deep venous thrombosis in 90 patients after total hip and knee arthroplasty. From the first postoperative day the D-dimer levels were found to be highly significantly raised in patients with deep venous thrombosis. A combined result over the first six postoperative days in excess of 1200ng/ml correlated with thrombosis with a specificity of 100%, sensitivity of 45%, positive predictive value of 60%, and negative predictive value of 100%. However, individual estimations were not discriminatory.

 

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