Ximelagatran reduced venous thromboembolism more than warfarin after total knee replacement.

P a t i e n t s 2301 patients who were having primary total knee replacement and weighed between 40 and 136 kg. Exclusion criteria included pneumatic leg compression; immobilization ≥ 3 days; major surgery, stroke, myocardial infarction, or receipt of study drug ≤ 30 days before surgery; increased risk for bleeding ≤ 90 days before surgery; uncontrolled hypertension; thrombocytopenia; drug or alcohol abuse in the past 6 months; and potential for pregnancy. 2285 patients (99%) (mean age 68 y, 62% women) were included in the safety analysis and 1851 (80.4%) in the efficacy analysis.