Background: Traumatic injury induces changes in mediators of inflammation and coagulation, but the pivotal roles of inflammation and coagulation has not been precisely clarified. Therefore we have studied markers of inflammation and coagulation after a standardized musculoskeletal trauma like total hip replacement surgery.
Methods: We allocated 21 patients aged 50 to 84 years who underwent total hip replacement surgery. Releases of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 and protrombin fragment F1.2 and plasmin-antiplasmin complex (PAP) were examined during surgery and up 6 days postoperatively, and systemic releases were compared to pre-operative values. Surgery induced significant increments in serum levels of IL-6 at 6 hours and at 1 day after surgery and in levels of IL-8 at 6 hours after surgery. There were no significant changes in serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β or IL-10. There were significant increments in blood levels of F1.2 and PAP up to 6 days postoperatively with highest levels at 6 hours after surgery. There were only week correlations between IL-6 and IL-8 and F1.2 and PAP.
Conclusion: Major musculoskeletal surgery causes changes of the inflammatory, coagulatory and fibrinolytic cascades in stable patients, but with no correlations between inflammation and coagulation and fibrinolysis.