Grant: Project Grant

As our Canadian population ages, hip fractures in these older adults are becoming very common. The best treatment for the majority of these injuries is urgent treatment with surgery. However, the hip fracture itself, the surgery required, and the immobility following these injuries are all risk factors for developing blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) and blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism or PE). These complications are a common cause of death in patients with hip fractures and often result in prolonged medical treatment and hospital stays. Patients with hip fractures who require surgery are traditionally given injectable blood thinners to help prevent blood clots; however, these medications are costly, may not be tolerated well, and can be difficult to take, as prescribed. Oral blood thinning medications are being used more commonly, but it is unknown which of these medications is the most effective in preventing blood clots in patients after a hip fracture. Thrombelastography (TEG) technology uses a small sample of blood to evaluate a person's clotting ability. Our research has used TEG technology to evaluate blood clotting risk after hip fracture surgery and we have found that platelet may play an important role in abnormal blood clotting after a hip fracture. We have also shown that Aspirin may help reduce the abnormal platelet hyperactivity associated with blood clotting. This medication warrants investigation for blood clot prevention after hip fracture. We propose to directly compare different oral medication regimens after hip fracture surgery, in order to determine which is safest and most effective in preventing blood. Our multi-disciplinary research team includes physicians, surgeons, and scientists with experience evaluating different medications for blood clot prevention. Our results will help determine the best medical treatment for preventing DVT and PE, which will benefit patients with hip fractures worldwide.