Preoperative incidence and risk factors of deep vein thrombosis in patients with an isolated patellar fracture

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the incidence, location, and related factors of preoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients with isolated patellar fractures. METHODS: Patients with an isolated patellar fracture, admitted between January 2013 and December 2019 at our institution, were retrospectively analyzed. Upon admission, patients underwent routine Doppler ultrasound scanning (DUS) of the bilateral lower extremities to detect DVT; those with DVT were assigned to the case group and those without DVT to the control group. Patients in both groups did not perform preoperative off-bed weight-bearing exercises. Data on demographics, comorbidities, and laboratory test results upon admission were extracted. Variables were evaluated between the two groups using univariate analyses, and independent risk factors associated with DVT were identified by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: During the study period, 827 patients were included, of whom 5.8% (48/827) were found to have preoperative DVT. In DVT patients, 85.4%(41/48) were injured, 8.3%(4/48) were not injured, and 6.3%(3/48) were lower limbs. Multivariate analysis showed that male (male vs. female, odds ratio, OR = 2.25), delayed from injury to DUS (in each day, OR = 1.29), and elevated plasma D-dimer level (> 0.5 µg/mL, OR = 2.47) were independent risk factors associated with DVT. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the low prevalence of DVT after an isolated patellar fracture, this study underscores the importance of identifying those with a high risk of DVT, especially those with multiple identifiable factors, and encourage the early targeted use of anti-thromboembolic agents to reduce DVT occurrence.