Early post-operative walking bouts are associated with improved gait speed and symmetry at 90 days.

Introduction: There is a paucity of literature on optimal patterns of daily walking following joint arthroplasty, which are now evaluated with consumer technologies like smartphones, and can enhance our understanding of post-operative mobility. When smartphone-recorded, daily walking patterns are captured, qualities of gait-recovery such as gait speed or symmetry can be analyzed in real-world environments.

Research Question: Are the daily distribution of walking bouts in the early post-operative period associated with 90-day gait quality measures following hip and knee arthroplasty?

Methods: Gait data was collected passively using a smartphone-based care management platform in patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty.