Long-term postoperative opioid use in orthopaedic patients

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Pain Management
• Public Health

Background:

• Long-term opioid use post-orthopaedic surgery has a wide prevalence (1.4%-24%).
• Previous studies relied on prescription data, limiting accurate estimation of the problem's scale.
• Patient-reported measures offer a more robust method for assessing long-term opioid use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of long-term opioid use after orthopaedic surgery.
• To identify predictors of long-term postoperative opioid use.
• To utilize online patient-reported measures for a comprehensive assessment.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of adult patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery.
• Online survey administered six months post-surgery to assess current opioid use and willingness to taper.
• Demographic, clinical, and pre-operative opioid use data extracted from patient files.

Main Results:

• 12.5% of patients (76/607) reported opioid use six months post-surgery.
• 3.3% of patients (20/607) were new long-term opioid users (no pre-operative use).
• Pre-operative opioid use (OR=35.33) and affected body region (ORs: 6.84-12.75) were significant predictors.

Conclusions:

• 12.5% prevalence of long-term opioid use, with 1 in 30 becoming new users.
• Pre-operative opioid use and affected body region are key predictors.
• Long-term opioid users desire to taper, underscoring the need for perioperative prevention and support.