Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Author Spotlight: Fu's Subcutaneous Needling for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain
Published on: March 24, 2023
A comparison of opioid use between WCB recipients and other Manitobans for knee, shoulder, back and carpal tunnel
Allen Kraut1,2, Colette B Raymond2,3, Okechukwu Ekuma3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada.
Background:
This study's objectives were to evaluate whether WCB claimants with conditions requiring certain surgical procedures are more likely to be prescribed outpatient opioids than other Manitobans and whether those prescribed opioids are more likely to still be on opioid medications 6 months post procedure.
Methods:
We compared 7,246 WCB claims for a number of surgical procedures to 65,032 similar procedures performed in other Manitobans. Logistic regression was used to explore the association between being a WCB claimant and being prescribed opioids, while controlling for type of surgical procedure and other potential confounders.
Results:
WCB claimants were more likely than other Manitobans to be prescribed opioids (adjusted OR 1.38; 95%CI 1.30-1.47). Amongst those prescribed opioids, the odds of being still on opioids 6 months post-procedure were not significantly elevated for WCB claimants (adjusted OR 1.09 95%CI 0.97-1.23).
Conclusions:
WCB claimants are prescribed opioids more often than non-claimants for similar procedures.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
01:20Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
01:29Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...