Still, the modern understanding of the factors leading to embolism is similar to the description provided by Virchow.

Virchow's triad remains a useful concept for clinicians and pathologists alike in understanding the contributors to thrombosis.

[9] In detailing the pathophysiology surrounding pulmonary embolism, he alluded to many of the factors known to contribute to venous thrombosis.

While these factors had already been previously established in the medical literature by others,[10][11] for unclear reasons they ultimately became known as Virchow's triad.

[12] This has been attributed to a dispute Virchow had with Jean Cruveilhier, who considered local trauma of primary importance in the development of pulmonary artery thrombosis.