Pulmonary thromboembolism after surgical treatment of ulnar pseudoarthrosis: a case report.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the consequently developed pulmonary embolism are devastating complications in orthopedic surgery. DVT occurs less frequently (1-2% of all cases) in the upper extremity than the lower extremity. We report a 54-year-old male patient who developed DVT and pulmonary thromboembolism after surgical treatment of an ulnar pseudoarthrosis. The presented case suggested the use of a low molecular weight heparin prophylaxis after upper extremity surgeries necessitating long-term immobilization.