Role of aspirin in the prevention of heterotopic ossification following total hip replacement: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

To systematically investigate if aspirin (ASA), used as venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis, plays a role in the prevention of heterotopic ossification (HO) following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and if ASA dosage impacted the rate of HO.

METHODS

Eligible studies published from January 2000 to July 2022 were identified from the computerized searching of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. HO was defined according to Brooker Classification. Pooled risk ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated under a random-effect model. Additionally, combined HO incidences were compared according to ASA dosage (a regular dose of 325 bid vs. a low dose of 81 mg bid/162 mg qd).

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were included. ASA administered for VTE prophylaxis was significantly associated with a reduced risk of all-grade HO following THA (univariate, OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.34-0.74, P < 0.001; multivariate, OR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.49-0.73, P < 0.001). Similar results could be observed for high-grade HO (univariate, OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.36-0.89, P = 0.015; multivariate, OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.27-0.92, P = 0.026). There was a non-significant trend towards a higher incidence of HO formation for low-dose ASA (31%, 95% CI: 29-34%), compared with regular-dose ASA (21%, 95% CI: 11-33%) (P = 0.069 under test of interaction).

CONCLUSIONS

ASA can be an effective option for HO prophylaxis. More well-designed trials with long-term follow-ups are encouraged to confirm the current findings and to investigate the effect of ASA dosage on HO reduction.