The association between deep venous thrombosis and heterotopic ossification in patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injury.

The medical records of 209 patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) admitted to the SCI rehabilitation unit from 7/1/88 through 12/31/92 were reviewed. Whereas the incidence of heterotopic ossification (HO) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in this population were 16.7% and 14.3%, respectively, 36.6% of the individuals with DVT had HO. 31.4% of those with HO developed DVT at some time during their acute or rehabilitation hospitalization. The overall incidence of coexistent DVT and HO was 5.3%. The correlation between the occurrence of HO and DVT in this SCI population reached statistical significance (chi 2 = 9.97; p < 0.005). The results of this study suggest that there exists an association between the occurrence of DVT and HO following traumatic SCI. We hypothesize that venous compression from expanding heterotopic bone can result in lower limb DVT following traumatic SCI.