Walking speed in the total joint arthroplasty population

Total hip and total knee arthroplasties are common procedures, effective at improving self-reported function for patients with osteoarthritis. While self-report measures are commonly used to assess outcomes after total joint arthroplasty (TJA), they rarely accurately reflect the magnitude of physical performance deficits. Measures of walking speed allow for a simple and reproducible clinical assessment of physical performance after TJA, which may prove to be a useful clinical tool for tracking performance and establishing prognosis. Of the few studies examining walking speed after TJA, generally patients tend to improve after surgery, yet deficits of 17% to 20% persist when patients are compared with healthy controls.