**3. Results**

A total of 508 patients met the study criteria. The study population consisted of 241 (47%) women and 267 men, with a mean (SD) age of 71 (8) years and BMI of 30 (6). Overall, 63% of patients underwent RTSA, while the remaining 37% had ATSA. There were no significant differences in any of the baseline patient characteristics between the pre- and post-COVID groups (Table 1). There was no difference in the rate of procedures performed in the hospital versus surgery center setting between the two groups (Table 1).

Shoulder arthroplasty performed in the post-COVID cohort was associated with a shorter LOS (12 vs. 16 h, *p* = 0.017) and higher rate of same-day discharge to home (87.3 vs. 79.1%; Figure 1, Table 2). Figure 2 is a more granular representation of the decline in the proportion of surgeries with overnight stays.


#### **Table 1.** Characteristics of the study population.

BMI = body mass index. \* The values are given as the mean and the standard deviation. † The values are given as the number of patients, with the percentage in parentheses.

**Figure 1.** Outcomes after total shoulder arthroplasty in the pre- and post-COVID groups. Asterisks denote statistical significance(*p* <0.05).

> The rate of discharge to SNFs was similar between the groups (1.9 vs. 2.0%, *p* = 0.915). There was a significant reduction in the rate of 90-day ED visits in the post-COVID cohort (7.4 vs. 13.3%, *p* = 0.029), while there was no difference with regard to 90-day reoperation (2.0 vs. 1.5%, *p* = 0.745) and readmission rates (1.2 vs. 1.9%, *p* = 0.724; Table 2).


**Table 2.** Outcomes after total shoulder arthroplasty.

ED = emergency department. \* The values are given as the mean, with the range in parentheses. † The values are given as the number of patients, with the percentage in parentheses.

**Figure 2.** Rate of shoulder arthroplasties requiring overnight hospital stays over time.
