Postoperative pain management

Although the long-term results following traditional total joint arthroplasty are excellent, postoperative pain management has been suboptimal. Under-treatment of pain is a focus of growing concern to the orthopedic community. Poorly controlled postoperative pain leads to undesirable outcomes, including immobility, stiffness, myocardial ischemia, atelectasis, pneumonia, deep venous thrombosis, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Over the past decade, the attempt to minimize postoperative complications, combined with the move toward minimally invasive surgery and early postoperative mobilization, has made pain management a critical aspect of joint replacement surgery. Effective protocols are currently available; all include a multimodal approach. Debate continues regarding the ideal approach; however, reliance on narcotic analgesia alone is suboptimal.