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Updated: Apr 11, 2026

Fracture Apparatus Design and Protocol Optimization for Closed-stabilized Fractures in Rodents
Published on: August 14, 2018
Opioids contribute to fracture risk: a meta-analysis of 8 cohort studies
Zhaowei Teng1, Yun Zhu2, Feihu Wu3
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The People's Hospital of Yuxi City, The 6th Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yuxi, Yunan, China.
Objective:
To evaluate the association between chronic opioid use for non-cancer pain and fracture risk by conducting a meta-analysis of cohort studies.
Methods:
Cohort studies were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE from their inception to July 2014. A fracture was considered an endpoint. The information was extracted by two authors independently. When the heterogeneity was significant, a random-effects model was used to calculate the overall pooled risk estimates.
Results:
Eight cohort studies were included in the final meta-analysis. On the basis of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), six studies were considered to be of high quality. The overall combined relative risk for the use of opioids and fractures was 1.88 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-2.34). A subgroup analysis revealed the sources of heterogeneity. The sensitivity analysis indicated stable results, and no publication bias was observed.
Conclusions:
This meta-analysis of cohort studies demonstrates that opioids significantly increase the risk of fractures.
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