Nelson LD Jr, Montgomery SP, Dameron TB Jr, Nelson RB.
Deep vein thrombosis in lumbar spinal fusion: a prospective study of antiembolic
and pneumatic compression stockings.
J South Orthop Assoc 1996 Fall;5(3):181-4

Raleigh Orthopedic Clinic, NC 27612, USA.

We prospectively studied the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the thigh
in 117 patients having posterior lumbar spinal fusion with instrumentation and bone
grafting for degenerative disk disease or spondylolisthesis. Patients with
neoplasm, infection, trauma, or history of DVT were excluded. Patients were
randomized into two groups. In the operating room, group 1 patients were placed
in thigh-high antiembolic compression stockings (TED hose), and group 2 patients
were placed in antiembolic stockings and pneumatic compression stockings. In both
groups, the stockings were used until discharge. Postoperatively, patients in
both groups received 600 mg buffered aspirin twice daily. Comparative analysis of
the two groups showed no difference in operative time, blood loss, number of
levels of lumbar vertebrae fused, time to mobilization, weight, age, or sex. All
patients had duplex scanning of the thigh postoperatively. No patient in the
series was observed to have acute DVT by clinical examination or by
ultrasonography.