Assessment of Deep Vein Thrombosis Using Multidetector Computed Tomography After Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Comparative Study with Doppler Sonography

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the ability of indirect 128-row multidetector CT (MDCT) venography and doppler sonography to detect deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after knee or hip arthroplasty. Methods and Materials: Replacement surgery was performed on a total of ten hip and sixty-eight knee joints in 52 patients. The evaluation of the presence of DVT is degraded by the beam hardening artifact; therefore, Axial CT images could not be used to assess DVT. The beam hardening artifact's z-axis length was measured. Deep vein thrombosis was studied to see how common it is and where it occurs. The CT venograms' diagnostic performance was assessed and compared to that of the gold standard diagnostic reference for DVT: doppler sonography. Results: The beam hardening artifact had a z-axis length of 6.0 (mean standard deviation). Doppler sonography is a technique that allows you to see what's going on inside your body. In 30/52 individuals, DVT was found in the calf veins (58 percent of total population). The binary scale diagnostic test revealed that CT venography and doppler sonography had sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 93.33 percent, 90.91 percent, 90.91 percent, and 92.31 percent, respectively. Conclusion: For the aim of evaluating post-arthroplasty patients, CT venography can be utilized as a substitute for doppler sonography.