Data from a study published in the Jan. 17 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery suggest that it may be safe for total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients to be discharged directly home, even if they live alone. 

The authors conducted a prospective study of 769 patients who underwent primary, unilateral total hip or total knee arthroplasty, 138 of whom lived alone. They found that patients living alone more commonly stayed an additional night in the hospital and used more home health services. However, the authors found no significant difference across cohorts in complications, unplanned clinical events, functional outcomes, pain relief, or 90-day satisfaction scores. Learn more...