Tranexamic acid is safe and effective in patients with heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation during total joint arthroplasty.

Introduction: Patients with an inherent hypercoagulable state are at a higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Further administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) during TJA may increase the risk of VTE in these high-risk patients. There is no study that specifically analyzes the safety and efficacy of TXA during TJA in patients with factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation; therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TXA use on the risk of VTE and bleeding in patients carrying FVL mutation.

Materials And Methods: A total of 42 patients with FVL mutation (22 hips, 20 knees) and 40 control patients (20 hips, 20 knees) who underwent TJA were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received 1 g TXA intravenously 15 min before the skin incision and 2 g of TXA was administered locally at the surgical site as a periarticular injection. Pharmacological thromboprophylaxis (low-molecular-weight heparin) was administered to all patients. Estimated blood loss and in-hospital thromboembolic complications were compared between the groups.

Results: In both total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients, there was no significant difference in the amount of estimated blood loss among the groups (p = 0.980, and p = 0963, respectively). None of the patients in the THA group received a blood transfusion. The transfusion rate was similar in the TKA group (p = 0.756, one patient in each group). No VTE, myocardial infarction, or any other complications related to TXA use were observed in any of the patients.

Conclusions: The combined local and systemic administration of TXA could be safely used in patients with heterozygous FVL mutation receiving pharmacological thromboprophylaxis during TJA without increasing the risk of VTE.