The relationship between patient characteristics and outcomes of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) was examined in a population of veterans treated in VA hospitals. Outcomes included 30-day mortality and morbidity, postoperative length of stay, and readmission caused by surgical complications. A larger proportion of women then men were functionally impaired before surgery in both the hip (22% vs. 14%) and knee samples (14% vs. 7%; all P<.01). Rates of adverse outcomes in this population were very low. Preoperative comorbid conditions, abnormal laboratory values, and being nonwhite were related to poor outcomes of TJA. Gender was a significant independent predictor of morbidity and length of stay for total knee arthroplasty.