Adolescent and Adult VTE After Arthroscopy Compared in Study

Lower venous thromboembolism risk is shown in adolescents than adults after knee arthroscopy, but comorbidities like diabetes and obesity raise risk.

To assess the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after knee arthroscopy in adolescents compared to adults.

Study Design: A large retrospective cohort study was conducted using the TriNetX Research Network, analyzing 301,585 patients who underwent knee arthroscopy from January 2003 to January 2023.
Population: The study included 29,984 adolescents aged 14 to 17 years and 271,601 adults aged 18 years or older, with propensity score matching applied to balance cohorts.
Outcome Assessment: Outcomes were assessed at 90 days postoperatively, focusing on the incidence of VTE, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism.

Adolescents had a 0.8% risk of VTE compared to 1.5% in adults.
The 90-day incidence of DVT was 1.3% in adults and 0.8% in adolescents.
Pulmonary embolism occurred in 0.3% of adults and 0.2% of adolescents.
VTE rates in adolescents exceeded earlier estimates of 0.27% and 0.25%.
Significant VTE risk factors among adolescents included oral contraceptive use, obesity, tobacco use, and diabetes mellitus.

The study relied on retrospective data, which may have inherent biases.
Pediatric-specific data are limited, leading to potential misapplication of adult guidelines.