Special Considerations in Pain Management in Orthopaedic Subspecialties

Abstract

Three-D top-lighted rightwards arrowheadThere is a general consensus among the orthopaedic surgical community that the opioid epidemic has reached a crisis state within the United States.Three-D top-lighted rightwards arrowheadThe number of articles published with regard to prescription opioid use and pain management strategies within orthopaedic subspecialties has increased over the last 5 years and adequately describes the scope of the problem as well as risk factors for sustained use.Three-D top-lighted rightwards arrowheadIn this article, we elaborate on challenges highlighted during the JBJS Pain Management Research Symposium and discuss potential resolutions and next steps that may be capable of advancing research in the field. These include the need to focus on strategies with better pain management outcomes rather than just reversing opioid overprescribing, describing the value of specific pain management strategies, understanding the benefits of weaning chronic opioids prior to surgical intervention, and ensuring that the full range of variation in clinical, demographic, and prescriber-based characteristics influencing sustained prescription opioid use, successful pain management, and other outcomes is represented in the data sets that are used.