Minor leg injuries may cause thrombosis

Jan 15 2008

Dutch researchers say minor leg injuries such as ankle sprains and muscle pulls could be a major but unrecognized cause of blood clots in the veins.

The researchers at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands say the risk of such clots lasts for about 10 weeks after a leg injury and may be due to damage to the blood vessel wall and even a relatively small amount of damage can lead to the potentially fatal condition.

They also suggest that even minor injuries may cause people to be less active, which increases the likelihood of clots developing.

They came to this conclusion after looking at 2,471 patients who developed venous thrombosis (clots) between 1999 and 2004, and another 3,534 people who did not.

They found that of the people who had a blood clot, 289 had experienced a minor leg injury that did not require surgery, a plaster cast or extended bed rest.

They found that patients with minor leg injuries were three times more likely to develop a blood clot within three months than those without.

Researcher Karlijn van Stralen and colleagues say because minor injuries are common, they could be major contributors to the occurrence of venous thrombosis.

On a yearly basis, one to three of every 1,000 people develop blood clots which block the veins, usually in the legs or thighs which are caused by surgery and immobility including that which can occur during extended air travel.

The problem becomes life threatening if a part of the clot breaks off, travels to the lungs and blocks an artery.

The researchers suggest doctors who treat people for such injuries should be aware of the risk and in order to help patients prevent blood clots, should encourage them to be active in some way.

The research is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.