There were no significant differences between the anticoagulants rivaroxaban (Xarelto) and enoxaparin (Lovenox) in terms of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, infection, reoperation, transfusion, or major bleeding complications after primary hip and knee arthroplasty, according to a study published in the Journal of Arthroplasty.
In a non–industry-funded retrospective cohort study, Dr. Michael A. Charters of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and his associates looked at 2,406 patients who underwent total hip and knee arthroplasty between 2009 and 2011. Of the 1,762 patients ultimately included in the study, 1,113 (63.2%) received enoxaparin and 649 (36.8%) received rivaroxaban for VTE prophylaxis. The deep venous thrombosis rate of the enoxaparin group was 1.8%, compared with 0.9% in the rivaroxaban group (P = .208) and the pulmonary embolism rate of the enoxaparin group was 0.7%, compared with 0.3% in the rivaroxaban group (P = .437).
“For standard primary THA [total hip arthroplasty] and TKA [total knee arthroplasty], these medications appear to be equally effective without increased adverse events,” the researchers said.
Read the full article at: The Journal of Arthoplasty 2015 (www.arthroplastyjournal.org/article/S0883-5403%2815%2900120-5/abstract).