The "July Effect" on Shoulder Arthroplasty: Are Complication Rates Higher at the Beginning of the Academic Year?

BACKGROUND: The "July effect" is a colloquialism asserting an increased rate of errors at the start of the academic year in teaching hospitals. This retrospective population-based study evaluated for the presence of the July effect in performing shoulder arthroplasty. METHODS: percentile) and non-routine discharge. RESULTS: After adjusting for patient, procedure, and hospital characteristics in multivariable modeling, admission in July was not associated with increased risk for inpatient mortality (OR 1.6) aggregate morbidity, blood transfusion, prolonged length of stay, and non-routine discharge. CONCLUSION: This nationwide database analysis shows that shoulder arthroplasty at academic medical centers is not associated with increased perioperative morbidity and resource utilization during the month of July.