Short-Duration Prophylaxis Against Venous Thromboembolism After Total Hip or Knee Replacement: A Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies Investigating Symptomatic Outcomes

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis diagnosed by venography after hip or knee replacement remains high despite 7 to 10 days of anticoagulant prophylaxis. However, the risk of symptomatic events in such patients is unclear. We performed a meta-analysis to provide reliable estimates of the risk of symptomatic venous thromboembolism occurring within 3 months of hip or knee replacement in patients who received …