Comparison of incidence of perioperative deep venous thrombosis and D-dimer level between different ages in patients with lower limb fracture in Northwest China

Abstract

Objective To compare the perioperative incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and level of plasma D-dimer between different ages in patients with lower limb fracture in Northwest China. Methods The data were retrospectively analyzed of the 1,185 patients with lower limb fracture in 5 provinces in Northwest China from July 2014 to March 2017. They were 583 males and 602 femals, with an average of 60.3 years(from 18 to 102 years). Of them, 723 were from Shaanxi Province, 148 from Gansu Province, 137 from Qinghai Province, 128 from Ningxia Hui Nationality Autonomous Regions and 49 from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. They were divided into a young group (≤44 years old) (n=288), a middle-aged group (from 45 to 59 years old) (n=256), a junior elderly group (from 60 to 74 years old) (n=263), and a senior elderly group (≥75 years old) (n=378). The incidences of perioperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and levels of plasma D-dimer were compared between the 4 age groups. Results The DVT incidences before and after operation in the young group were significantly lower than in the other 3 groups (P<0.05); the DVT incidence after operation in the middle-aged group was significantly lower than that in the junior elderly group (P<0.05). The pre- and post-operative levels of plasma D-dimer increased with the age of the patients; the pre- and post-operative levels of plasma D-dimer in the senior elderly group were significantly higher than in the other 3 groups (P<0.05). Conclusions The perioperative incidence of DVT was high in the elderly patients with lower limb fracture in Northwest China, peaking in the age range from 60 to 74 years old. The pre- and post-operative levels of plasma D-dimer increased with the age of the patients. Key words: Bones of lower extremity; Fractures, bone; Thrombosis; Age distribution