A study recently published in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery found that patients who are dependent on opioids prior to undergoing knee replacement surgery often experience an extended recovery period and are at higher risk for complications, according to a release from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Michael A. Mont, MD, director of the Center for Joint Preservation and Reconstruction at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopaedics at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, was the principle investigator of the study. The study found that chronic opioid users were likely to have a longer hospital stay, need pain management referrals, suffer unexplained pain or stiffness and have lower function and less range of motion in the replaced knee.
Dr. Mont and the co-authors suggest physicians and patients can help improve outcomes by:
• Decreasing the patient's dependence on opioid medication before surgery
• Prescribing a non-opioid pain medication
• Undergoing non-pharmaceutical pain management care
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Dr. Mont and the co-authors suggest physicians and patients can help improve outcomes by:
• Decreasing the patient's dependence on opioid medication before surgery
• Prescribing a non-opioid pain medication
• Undergoing non-pharmaceutical pain management care
Related Articles on Orthopedic Pain Management:
American Pain Society Supports CDC's Attention to Prescription Drug Misuse
Arizona Pain Specialists to Perform Stem Cell Injections for Back Pain Relief
Nano-Formulated NSAIDs Provide Relief at Lower Doses