title: [Thromboembolic complications following ankle prosthesis implantation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Total ankle replacement is becoming an increasingly used treatment for patients with degenerative arthritis of the ankle; however, there is limited literature available addressing the incidence of thromboembolic complications after total ankle replacement. Therefore, we performed a systematic literature review addressing thrombosis prophylaxis and incidence of thromboembolic complications after total ankle replacement. Furthermore, we evaluated the incidence of thromboembolic complications in our clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systemic literature review was performed using established medical literature data bases. The following information was retrieved from the literature: thrombosis prophylaxis and duration and deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism as postoperative complication. The incidence of thromboembolic complications was evaluated in our patient cohort including 964 total ankle replacement procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 21 clinical studies were included in the systematic literature review. The range of incidence of thromboembolic complications was between 0.0 % and 4.8 %. In our patient cohort the incidence of symptomatic deep vein thrombosis was 3.4 %. There were no cases of pulmonary embolism. All patients received low molecular weight heparin prophylaxis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of thromboembolic complications in our patient cohort was comparable to that of symptomatic deep vein thrombosis in patients undergoing total knee or hip replacement or ankle fusion. We suggest the prophylactic use of low molecular weight heparin for patients after total ankle replacement.
authors.affiliation: Orthopädische Universitätsklinik Basel, Universitätsspital Basel, Spitalstraße 21, 4031, Basel, Schweiz, alexej.barg@usb.ch.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barg
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pagenstert
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hintermann
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valderrabano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D058737:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Ankle / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology*