Inherited Coagulopathies Predisposing to Venous Thromboembolic Disease in Lower Extremity Joint Arthroplasty

The risk of venous thromboembolism is high in lower extremity joint arthroplasty. Although the fundamental clotting factors are known, evidence implicates a number of less studied genetic elements that predispose patients to adverse venous thromboembolic events. The purpose of this article is to review the fundamentals of the coagulation pathology, relate new findings of the past decade of research concerning inherited coagulopathies and their role in venous thromboembolic disease in lower extremity joint arthroplasty, and highlight their importance for clinical practice. We conclude that there is established evidence linking genetic factors to inherited coagulopathies in hip arthroplasty which could lead to a system for screening and treating high-risk patients.

Keywords: deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, inherited disorders