The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Practice of Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

>> The COVID-19 global pandemic resulted in unprecedented disruptions in care including massive surgical cancelations, a shift to outpatient surgery, and novel medical risks posed by COVID-19 infection on patients undergoing joint replacement surgery.>> Refined patient optimization pathways have facilitated safe, efficient outpatient total joint arthroplasty in patient populations that may not otherwise have been considered eligible.>> Rapid innovations emerged to deliver care while minimizing the risk of disease transmission which included the widespread adoption of telemedicine and virtual patient engagement platforms.>> The widespread adoption of virtual technology was similarly expanded to resident education and continuing medical activities, which has improved our ability to propagate knowledge and increase access to educational initiatives.>> Novel challenges borne of the pandemic include profound personnel shortages and supply chain disruptions that continue to plague efficiencies and quality of care in arthroplasty and require creative, sustainable solutions.