Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) has historically been considered primarily an inpatient operation. However, the actual length of stay (LOS) has diminished over time. At our institution the LOS from 1987 to 1990 averaged five to seven days. This decreased to three days from 1993 to 2002 and down to one to two days from 2005 to 2011. With the adaptation of improved anesthesia and pain management protocols, minimally invasive surgery techniques, rapid recovery protocols, and proper patient selection, outpatient (OP) TJA appears to be the next step in maximizing peri-operative efficiency; especially as younger patients are undergoing TJA. Other potential benefits of OP TJR include improved patient care and control, better patient and surgeon satisfaction and a lower overall cost.

Over a twenty-four month period (July 2012 to June 2014) we performed 250 primary TJAs (139 hips and 111 knees) and twelve revision TJAs (six hips and six knees). All patients received 400 mg of celecoxib pre-operation and 200 mg/day for ten days. In addition to general anesthesia, hips received a short-acting spinal and knees received an adductor canal block. Tranexamic acid (IV or topical) and a pericapsular injectable cocktail of liposomal bupivacaine was routinely used. There was one deep infection (0.4%) and one readmission for pain control (0.4%). Two cases of deep vein thrombosis were diagnosed (0.8%).

Patient education, home health care utilization, and proper patient selection are key factors to keep hospitalization rates, emergency room visits, and re-admission rates to a minimum.

While total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the most predictable and successful operation for relieving pain and restoring function in the arthritic hip, instability and dislocation have been identified as the most common cause (22.5%) of revision THA in the United States. Thus, minimizing the complications of impingement and dislocation are major goals for surgeons and implant designers.

A dual-mobility (DM) socket design, where there is an additional bearing with a mobile polyethylene component between the prosthetic head and the acetabular shell, was introduced in the United States in 2010. Developed by Bousquet in 1974, the DM design has been shown to be a durable solution to hip instability after THA. The smaller inside diameter head offers the potential advantage of lower wear and the larger outside diameter head offers the potential advantage of improved stability. A review of eight studies using a DM design noted only two dislocations in 1,386 (0.1%) primary THAs. Initially, indications were advocated for patients with increased instability risk as in revision THA or THA after femoral neck fracture. However, with larger diameter metal-on-metal articulations falling out of favor, DM components are increasingly being used in younger patients.

Between 2011 and 2014, the author has used DM sockets in over 400 primary THAs (age, 22–92 years). Only one dislocation was noted in this group (femoral neck fracture). One loose cup was revised. Dislocation of the smaller femoral head from the larger polyethylene head remains a theoretical risk with DM designs.

We measured polyethylene wear in 231 porous-coated uncemented acetabular cups. We divided the hips into two groups according to the fixation of the femoral component, by cementing (n = 97) or press-fit (n = 134). Follow-up was from three to five years. The patients in two sub-groups were matched for weight, diagnosis, sex, age and length of follow-up. The linear wear rate of cups articulated with uncemented femoral components (0.22 mm/year) was significantly higher than the wear rate (0.15 mm/year) of cups articulated within cemented femoral components (p < 0.05). These results can be compared with previously reported wear rates of 0.08 mm/year for cemented all-polyethylene cups and 0.11 mm/year for cemented metal-backed cups. The higher wear rates of uncemented arthroplasties could jeopardize the long-term results of this type of hip replacement.