Association Between Opioid Intake and Disability After Surgical Management of Ankle Fractures

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Pain Management
• Public Health

Background:

• Opioid-centered pain management has fueled a prescription opioid abuse epidemic.
• Ankle fracture fixation requires effective pain management strategies.
• Assessing opioid use in relation to patient outcomes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if opioid intake correlates with disability, treatment satisfaction, and pain levels post-ankle fracture surgery.
• To evaluate these associations at suture removal and 5–8 months later.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 102 adult patients undergoing open reduction and internal fixation of ankle fractures.
• Data collected at suture removal and 5–8 months post-surgery included opioid use, trauma factors, and validated measures of disability, pain, and satisfaction.
• 59 patients completed follow-up assessments.

Main Results:

• No significant association was found between opioid intake and disability or treatment satisfaction at suture removal.
• No variables were associated with opioid intake at the 5–8 month follow-up.
• Psychological factors like pain anxiety and catastrophic thinking were consistently linked to disability and satisfaction outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Patients with ankle fractures may achieve comparable disability and satisfaction outcomes with reduced opioid prescriptions.
• Opioid prescribing for ankle fractures may be optimized, independent of injury characteristics.
• Psychological factors significantly influence patient-reported outcomes in ankle fracture recovery.