Suleiman LI, Manista GC, Sherman AE, et al. - This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of race and socioeconomic status on total joint arthroplasty care. Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort including a total of 407 patients (131 black and 276 white) who presented to an arthroplasty clinic and went on to receive total joint arthroplasty. They evaluated the severity of osteoarthritis radiographically via Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade. Preoperative Knee Society Score (KSS) and Harris Hip Score (HHS) were applied to assess joint pain and function. Racial and socioeconomic differences in KL grade, KSS, HHS, and time to surgery were examined by using multivariate regression modeling and analysis of covariance. Compared with white patients, black patients reported similar levels of joint dysfunction and had longer surgical wait times, despite presenting with more advanced osteoarthritis. It was shown that lower socioeconomic status was similarly correlated with more severe degenerative joint disease.