Home-Based vs. Clinic-Based Rehabilitation After Joint Arthroplasty: A Prospective Matched Cohort Study  
[PERSON]  
1 Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Magna Graecia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (E.C. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (M.M.J. ); 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.G.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.G.) 1  
[PERSON]  
1 Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Magna Graecia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (E.C. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (M.M.J. ); 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.G.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.G.) 1  
[PERSON]  
3 Clinic \"Casa di cura Citta di Parma\", 43123 Parma, Italy; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.M. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.C.) 3  
[PERSON]  
1 Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Magna Graecia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (E.C. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (M.M.J. ); 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.G.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.G.) 1  
[PERSON]  
4 Department of Life science, Health, and Health Profession, Link Campus University, 00165 Rome, Italy; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] 4  
[PERSON]  
1 Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Magna Graecia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (E.C. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (M.M.J. ); 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.G.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.G.) 1  
[PERSON]  
1 Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Magna Graecia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (E.C. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (M.M.J. ); 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.G.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.G.) 1  
[PERSON]  
3 Clinic \"Casa di cura Citta di Parma\", 43123 Parma, Italy; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.M. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.C.) 1  
Footnote 1: email: {[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (E.C. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (M.M.J. ); 1 [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.G.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.G.) 1  
Footnote 2: email: {[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.G.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.G.) 1  
Footnote 3: email: {[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.G.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.G. );  
and is traditionally conducted in clinical settings, under the direct supervision of qualified healthcare professionals. However, alternatives are emerging, such as home-based rehabilitation (HBR) [5, 6, 7]. In the event of epidemic outbreaks, such as COVID-19, it may be difficult to seek clinic-based rehabilitation (CBR). During the pandemic period, the number of hip and knee replacement surgeries decreased by 76.5%, compared with the same period in 2019 (from 706 surgeries in 2019 to 166 in 2020) [8, 9]; additionally, the challenge of identifying rehabilitation facilities capable of managing postoperative rehabilitation while ensuring patient safety led to the exploration of alternative solutions. Consequently, HBR has become a viable alternative. This method offers patients flexible rehabilitation options, eliminating the need for travel and personalized care. Furthermore, there has been remarkable progress in recent years in integrating digital smart devices with HBR [10]. Previous studies have confirmed the effectiveness and safety of HBR, demonstrating comparable improvements in pain, functional outcomes, activities of daily living, patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness [10, 11]. Moreover, when considering the activities of daily living (ADLs), the home environment is deemed to be more meaningful to patients than an external clinical setting [12]. This could also enhance the feasibility of rehabilitation and significantly reduce costs for patients. It has also been suggested that this trend provides new opportunities and greater convenience in the field of rehabilitation, offering a more accessible range of rehabilitation options. However, it should be noted that HBR is not without challenges. The success of this type of treatment depends on the adherence of the patients to the prescribed physiotherapy program. In the case of older patients, a technological barrier often exists, necessitating supervision and assistance from the family network. No less important is variability in the quality of rehabilitation, attributable to the availability of resources and physiotherapists [10, 13, 14].