Pain management in spine surgery can be challenging. Cannabis might be an interesting choice for analgesia while avoiding some side effects of opioids. Recent work has reported on the potential benefits of cannabinoids for multimodal pain control, but very few studies focus on spinal surgery patients. This study aims to examine demographic and health status differences between patients who report the use of (1) cannabis, (2) narcotics, (3) cannabis and narcotics or (4) no cannabis/narcotic use. Retrospective cohort study of thoracolumbar patients enrolled in the CSORN registry after legalization of cannabis in Canada. Variables included: age, sex, modified Oswestry Disability Index (mODI), Numerical Rating Scales (NRS) for leg and back pain, tingling/numbness leg sensation, SF-12 Quality of Life- Mental Health Component (MCS), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and general health state. An ANCOVA with pathology as the covariate and post-hoc analysis was run. The majority of the 704 patients enrolled (mean age: 59; female: 46.9%) were non-users (41.8%). More patients reported narcotic-use than cannabis-use (29.7% vs 12.9%) with 13.4% stating concurrent-use. MCS scores were significantly lower for patients with concurrent-use compared to no-use (mean of 39.95 vs 47.98, p=0.001) or cannabis-use (mean=45.66, p=0.043). The narcotic-use cohort had significantly worse MCS scores (mean=41.37, p=0.001) than no-use. Patients reporting no-use and cannabis-use (mean 41.39 vs 42.94) had significantly lower ODI scores than narcotic-use (mean=54.91, p=0.001) and concurrent-use (mean=50.80, p=0.001). Lower NRS-Leg pain was reported in cannabis-use (mean=5.72) compared to narcotic-use (mean=7.19) and concurrent-use (mean=7.03, p=0.001). No-use (mean=6.31) had significantly lower NRS-Leg pain than narcotic-use (p=0.011), and significantly lower NRS-back pain (mean=6.17) than narcotic-use (mean=7.16, p=0.001) and concurrent-use (mean=7.15, p=0.012). Cannabis-use reported significantly lower tingling/numbness leg scores (mean=4.85) than no-use (mean=6.14, p=0.022), narcotic-use (mean=6.67, p=0.001) and concurrent-use (mean=6.50, p=0.01). PHQ-9 scores were significantly lower for the no-use (mean=6.99) and cannabis-use (mean=8.10) than narcotic-use (mean=10.65) and concurrent-use (mean=11.93) cohorts. Narcotic-use reported a significantly lower rating of their overall health state (mean=50.03) than cannabis-use (mean=60.50, p=0.011) and no-use (mean=61.89, p=0.001). Patients with pre-operative narcotic-use or concurrent use of narcotics and cannabis experienced higher levels of disability, pain and depressive symptoms and worse mental health functioning compared to patients with no cannabis/narcotic use and cannabis only use. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first and largest study to examine the use of cannabis amongst Canadian patients with spinal pathology. This observational study lays the groundwork to better understand the potential benefits of adding cannabinoids to control pain in patients waiting for spine surgery. This will allow to refine recommendations about cannabis use for these patients

Background. Orthopedic trauma patients can have significant pain management requirements. Patient satisfaction has been associated with pain control and narcotic use in previous studies. Due to the multifactorial nature of pain, various injury patterns, and differences in pain tolerances the relationship between patient factors and narcotic requirements are poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to compare patient demographics for trauma patients requiring high doses of narcotics for pain control versus those with more minimal requirements. Methods. Our study sample included 300 consecutive trauma activations who presented to our emergency department during the 2015 calendar year. Opioids given to the patients during their hospital stay were converted to oral morphine equivalents using ratios available from the current literature. Patients were placed into two groups including those who were in the top 10% for average daily inpatient oral morphine equivalents and the other group was composed of the remaining patients. In addition to morphine equivalents, patient age, gender, injury severity score, length of stay, number of readmissions and urine toxicology results were also recorded. Injury severity score (ISS), morphine equivalents, and patient age were evaluated with the Shapiro-Wilk test of normality. Comparisons were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Between group comparisons for positive urine toxicology screen and gender were performed with Chi square and Fisher exact test. Pearson correlations were calculated between injury severity score, average daily oral morphine equivalents, and length of stay. P-value of 0.05 was used to represent significance. Statistical comparisons were made using SPSS version 23 (IBM, Aramonk, NY). Results. Median average daily morphine equivalents in the 10% of patients receiving the highest doses was 86.30 and 12.95 for the bottom 90%. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). The median ISS between the 2 groups was significant (p=0.018). There was no significant difference in age, readmission rate, and urine toxicology results. Patients in the top 10% were more likely to be male (p=0.003). Median length of stay for the top 10% group and bottom 90% group was 4 days and 2 days, respectively (p=0.005). No correlation between injury severity score and length of stay was found (p=0.475). A weak correlation of 0.115 was found between morphine equivalents and length of stay (p=0.047). Discussion. Our study shows male gender and ISS were correlated with higher oral morphine equivalents for the 10% of patients receiving the highest daily amounts when compared to the reaminder of the cohort. There was a significantly increased length of stay in the patients receiving higher narcotic doses. Whether this is due to ISS or increase in narcotics is unclear. However, positive correlation was not found between ISS and length of stay

Adequate pain control is important in allowing early participation in physical therapy after total joint replacement. Opioidanalgesics often cause side effects that limit physical therapy. Therefore, adequate pain relief with reduced narcotics opioids should speed recovery. Purpose: To determine whether postoperative acupuncture would reduce narcotic usage and improve physical therapy after total joint replacement. Total knee (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR)patients who received acupuncture on POD 1–3 or did not receive acupuncture were prospectively followed. Postoperative usage of patient controlled analgesia (PCA, normalized to intravenous morphine) and oral and parenteral opioids (normalized to oral immediate release morphine) were measured. Verbal analog pain scores, performance in physical therapy, length of stay(LOS) and location of discharge were recorded. After TKR, there was no difference in pain scores in either group (acupuncture n=23, non-acupuncture n=25). PCA usage was 58% less in the acupuncture group for the entire hospital stay (p< 0.05). 74% of acupuncture patients and 36% of non-acupuncture patients did not require PCA after POD 2 (p< 0.05). The amount of additional narcotics was 58% less(p< 0.05) for the acupuncture group. Walking distance was greater in the acupuncture group by greater than 40% (p< 0.05) on any day after surgery.43% of the acupuncture patients and 24% of the non-acupuncture patients went home. There was no significant difference in knee flexion or LOS. After THA, the acupuncture group (n=7) used 54% less PCA (p< 0.05), used 96% less additional narcotic, and had 36–83% greater walking distance on any POD than-non-acupuncture group (n=7). Location of discharge and LOS was the same in both groups. There were no complications related to acupuncture in any patient. Acupuncture is a safe and effective adjunct to traditional methods of postoperative pain management after total hip and total knee replacement

Introduction and Aims: Adequacy of post-operative pain control can effect total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes. We examine the effectiveness of a simple and inexpensive method using long-acting local anesthetic (bupivacaine) with epinephrine and morphine injection on controlling pain, blood loss, and motion in primary TKA. Method: We retrospectively reviewed 170 patients who underwent 208 primary TKA, by a single surgeon between October 2001 and December 2002. The control group of 75 patients (99 knees) had received no intra-operative injections. The study group of 95 patients (109 knees) had received intra-operative injection of 0.25 percent bupivacane with epinephrine and morphine divided two-thirds soft-tissue injection and one-third intra-articular injection. Bilateral simultaneous TKA in the study group received a divided anaesthetic dose. Results: The control group required significantly more breakthrough narcotic (85 percent vs 67 percent; p=0.004); and required more narcotic reversal for over-sedation. The study group had significantly higher ROM at discharge 63 degrees vs 52 degrees. Lower ROM at discharge was associated with manipulation (p equals 0.001). The study group required less transfused blood (mean 0.03 vs 0.1 units), and had significantly lower bleeding indices 2.7 vs 3.5. Conclusion: Preemptive analgesia with intra-articular and soft-tissue injection of long-acting local anesthetic with epinephrine and morphine appears to decrease need for rescue narcotics and reversal agents. The use of the injection also increases ROM at discharge, which reduces the need for manipulation. Lastly, the bleeding index and transfusion requirements are significantly reduced. This inexpensive method is effective in improving the post-operative course of primary TKA

Aims

Young adults undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) largely have different indications for surgery, preoperative function, and postoperative goals compared to a standard patient group. The aim of our study was to describe young adult THA preoperative function and quality of life, and to assess postoperative satisfaction and compare this with functional outcome measures.

The December 2023 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: A comprehensive nonoperative treatment protocol for developmental dysplasia of the hip in infants; How common are refractures in childhood?; Femoral nailing for paediatric femoral shaft fracture in children aged eight to ten years; Who benefits from allowing the physis to grow in slipped capital femoral epiphysis?; Paediatric patients with an extremity bone tumour: a secondary analysis of the PARITY trial data; Split tibial tendon transfers in cerebral palsy equinovarus foot deformities; Liposomal bupivacaine nerve block: an answer to opioid use?; Correction with distal femoral transphyseal screws in hemiepiphysiodesis for coronal-plane knee deformity.

Hallux valgus surgery can result in moderate to severe post-operative pain requiring the use of narcotic medication. The percutaneous distal metatarsal osteotomy is a minimally invasive approach which offers many advantages including minimal scarring, immediate weight bearing and decreased post-operative pain. The goal of this study is to determine whether the use of narcotics can be eliminated using an approach combining multimodal analgesia, ankle block anesthesia and a minimally invasive surgical approach. Following ethics board approval, a total of 160 ambulatory patients between the ages of 18-70 with BMI ≤ 40 undergoing percutaneous hallux valgus surgery are to be recruited and randomized into Narcotic-free (NF) or Standard (S) groups. To date, 72 patients have been recruited (38 NF and 34 S). The NF group received acetaminophen, naproxen, pregabalin 75mg and 100mg Ralivia (tramadol extended release) before surgery and acetaminophen, naproxen, pregabalin 150mg one dose and Ralivia 100mg BID for five days, as well as a rescue narcotic (hydromorphone, 1mg pills) after surgery. The S group received acetaminophen and naproxen prior to surgery and acetaminophen, naproxen and hydromorphone (1mg pills) post-operatively, our current standard. Visual analog scales (VAS) were used to assess pain and narcotic consumption was recorded at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 hours and seven days post-operatively. Patients wore a smart watch to record the number of daily steps and sleep hours. A two-sided t-test was used to compare the VAS scores and narcotic consumption. During the first post-operative week, the NF group consumed in total an average of 6.5 pills while the S group consumed in total an average of 16 pills and this difference was statistically significant (p-value=0.001). Importantly, 19 patients (50%) in the NF group and four patients (12%) in the S group did not consume any narcotics post-operatively. For the VAS scores at 24, 48, 72 hours and seven days the NF group's average scores were 2.17, 3.17, 2.92, 2.06 respectively and the S group's average scores were 3.97, 4.2, 3.23, 1.97. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups at 24 and 48hours (the NF group scored lower on the VAS) with a p-value of 0.0008 and 0.04 respectively, but this difference is not considered clinically significant as the minimal clinically important difference reported in the literature is a two-point differential. The NF group walked an average of 1985.75 steps/day and slept an average of 8h01 minute/night, while the S group walked an average of 1898.26 steps/day and slept an average of 8h26 minutes/night in the first post-operative week. Hallux valgus remains a common orthopedic foot problem for which surgical treatment results in moderate to severe post-operative pain. This study demonstrates that with the use of multimodal analgesia, ultrasound guided ankle blocks and a percutaneous surgical technique, narcotic requirements decreased post-operatively. The use of long-acting tramadol further decreased the need for narcotic consumption. Despite decreased use of narcotics, this combined novel approach to hallux valgus surgery allows for early mobilization and excellent pain control

Orthopaedic surgeons frequently use opioids for peri-operative pain management and there is considerable variability in the amount prescribed between surgeons. As such, the appropriate number of opioids to prescribe for specific procedures is often unknown. Leftover prescription opioids are at risk for diversion to family and friends for nonmedical use. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal amount of narcotics to prescribe postoperatively for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. 23 consecutive patients were enrolled. All patients were prescribed 60 tablets of hydrocodone/acetaminophen 10/325 postoperatively as part of a multimodal pain management strategy. Patients were called at 14 and 21 days post-operatively to tabulate the number of pills used and knowledge of how to properly dispose of pills. The median number of narcotic pain pills required was 6 (IQR: 3,15). Over half of patients (56.5%) required ≤10 narcotic pain pills postoperatively. A large number of narcotic tablets (1071/1380, 77.6%) were unused and a small percentage of patients (8/23, 34.8%) were aware of proper disposal techniques. Knowledge of how to properly dispose of unused narcotics was protective against a prolonged duration of narcotic use postoperatively (Parameter estimate −5.7, 95% CI: −11.3, −0.1, p = 0.045). Reducing the number of prescribed narcotic tablets to 25 would meet the post-operative pain demands of over 85% of hip arthroscopy patients. More judicious post-operative prescribing patterns and patient education regarding disposal may help minimize physician contribution to opioid misuse, overuse and diversion

Summary. Despite adoption of robust clinical pathways, narcotic administration within the inpatient setting is highly variable and may benefit from the implementation of standardized multi-modal pain management protocols. Introduction. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) candidates have historically received high doses of opioids within the perioperative period for the management of surgical pain. Healthcare systems have responded by improving opioid prescribing documentation and implementing narcotic-sparing pain protocols into TKA integrated care pathways (ICP). Despite these efforts, there are few technological platforms specifically designed to measure the narcotic burden immediately postoperatively. Here we present an early iteration of an inpatient narcotic administration-reporting tool, which normalizes patient narcotic consumption as an average daily morphine-milligram-equivalence (MME) per surgical encounter (MME/day/encounter) among total knee arthroplasty (TKA) recipients. This information may help orthopaedic surgeons visualize their individual granular inpatient narcotic prescribing habits individually and compared to other surgeons, while taking into consideration patient and procedure specific variables in order to optimize use and curtail unnecessary narcotic prescriptions. Material and Methods. A query of our electronic data warehouse, was performed for patients undergoing elective primary TKA between January 1, 2016 to April 30, 2017. Patients undergoing revision or bilateral procedures were excluded. Patient demographics, inpatient and surgical factors, and inpatient narcotic administration were retrieved. Narcotic type, route and dose were converted into average total Morphine Milligram Equivalents per patient for each post- operative day (figure 1). These MME/day/encounter values were subsequently used determine mean and variance of narcotics prescribed by individual surgeons. A secondary analysis of regional distribution of inpatient narcotic consumption was determined by patient's zip codes. Results. In total, 20 surgeons performed 3,666 primary TKAs. The institutional average narcotic dose administered for a single surgical encounter was 34.45±60.06 MME/day (Figure 1). Average surgeon narcotic prescribing ranged from 18.54 to 42.84 MME/day. Similarly, intra-surgeon variability of narcotic prescribing habits varied from ±20.23 to ±129.02 MME/day. Further visualization of patient breakdown did not demonstrate a trend towards increased narcotic administration or variability for surgeons when compared to race or insurance type. Discussion. Our results suggest that narcotic administration following primary TKA demonstrated a substantial degree of intra-institutional variability for individual surgeons despite the use of standardized clinical pathways. TKA candidates may benefit from the implementation of a more rigid standardization of multi-modal pain management protocols that can control pain while minimizing the narcotic burden. Studies designed to analyze the variability of narcotic use in the post-operative period and determine strategies to minimize inappropriate variation are needed. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Summary. Narcotic administration within the inpatient setting is highly variable any may benefit from the implementation of standardized multi-modal pain management protocols. Introduction. Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) candidates have historically received high doses of opioids within the perioperative period for the management of surgical pain. Healthcare systems have responded by improving opioid prescribing documentation and implementing narcotic-sparing pain protocols into TJA integrate care pathways (ICP). Despite these efforts, there are few technological platforms designed to curtail excessive inpatient narcotic administration. Here we present an early iteration of an inpatient narcotic administration reporting tool which normalizes patient narcotic consumption as an average daily morphine milligram equivalence (MME) per surgical encounter (MME/day/encounter) among total hip arthroplasty (THA) recipients. This information may help orthopaedic surgeons visualize their individual granular inpatient narcotic prescribing habits individually and compared to other surgeons, while taking into consideration patient and procedure specific variables. Material and Methods. A query of our electronic data warehouse, was performed for patients undergoing elective primary THA between January 1, 2016 to April 30, 2017. Patient demographics; inpatient and surgical factors; and inpatient narcotic administration were retrieved. Narcotic type, route and dose were converted into total Morphine Milligram Equivalences (MMEs;) on a patient encounter basis (MME/day/encounter). MME/day/encounter were subsequently used determine mean and variance of narcotics prescribed by healthcare providers. A secondary analysis of regional distribution of inpatient narcotic consumption was determined by patient's zip codes. Results. In total, 4020 primary THAs were included. The institutional average narcotic dose administered for a single surgical encounter was 24.44±52.09 MME/day/encounter. Average surgeon narcotic prescribing ranged from 13.02 to 40.70 MME/day/encounter. Similarly, intra-surgeon variability of narcotic prescribing habits varied from ±21.24 to ±91.94 MME/day/encounter. Further evaluation of patient breakdown did not demonstrate a trend towards increased narcotic administration or variability for surgeons when compared to patient race or insurance type. Moreover, regional distribution of narcotic administration appeared to visually correlate with median household income, whereby less affluent areas demonstrated increased MME/day/encounter. Discussion. Narcotic administration in the inpatient setting among orthopaedic surgeons at the same academic institution is highly variable as evidenced by the differences in mean MME/day/encounter. Although patient and operative characteristics may vary among THA recipients a more comprehensive understanding of narcotic prescribing patterns may enable healthcare organizations to develop multimodal pain management pathways tailored to the patient's needs

Aims. Due to the opioid epidemic in the USA, our service progressively decreased the number of opioid tablets prescribed at discharge after primary hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty. The goal of this study was to analyze the effect on total morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) prescribed and post-discharge opioid repeat prescriptions. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 19,428 patients undergoing a primary THA or TKA between 1 February 2016 and 31 December 2019. Two reductions in the number of opioid tablets prescribed at discharge were implemented over this time; as such, we analyzed three periods (P1, P2, and P3) with different routine discharge MME (750, 520, and 320 MMEs, respectively). We investigated 90-day refill rates, refill MMEs, and whether discharge MMEs were associated with represcribing in a multivariate model. Results. A discharge prescription of < 400 MMEs was not a risk factor for opioid represcribing in the entire population (p = 0.772) or in opioid-naïve patients alone (p = 0.272). Procedure type was the most significant risk factor for narcotic represcribing, with unilateral TKA (hazard ratio (HR) = 5.62), bilateral TKA (HR = 6.32), and bilateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) (HR = 5.29) (all p < 0.001) being the highest risk for refills. For these three procedures, there was approximately a 5% to 6% increase in refills from P1 to P3 (p < 0.001); however, there was no significant increase in refill rates after any hip arthroplasty procedures. Total MMEs prescribed were significantly reduced from P1 to P3 (p < 0.001), leading to the equivalent of nearly 500,000 fewer oxycodone 5 mg tablets prescribed. Conclusion. Decreasing opioids prescribed at discharge led to a statistically significant reduction in total MMEs prescribed. While the represcribing rate did not increase for any hip arthroplasty procedure, the overall refill rates increased by about 5% for most knee arthroplasty procedures. As such, we are now probably prescribing an appropriate amount of opioids at discharge for knee arthroplasty procedure, but further reductions may be possible for hip arthroplasty procedures. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(7 Supple B):103–110

Introduction. Due to the opioid epidemic, our service developed a cultural change highlighted by decreasing discharge opioids after lower extremity arthroplasty. However, concern of potentially increasing refill requests exists. As such, the goal of this study was to analyze whether decreased discharge opioids led to increased postoperative opioid refills. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 19,428 patients undergoing a primary hip or knee arthroplasty at a single institution from 2016–2019. Patients that underwent secondary procedures within that timeframe were excluded. Two-thousand two-hundred and forty-one patients (12%) were on narcotics preoperatively or had chronic pain syndrome. Two reductions in routine discharge narcotics were performed over this timeframe. First, 8,898 patients routinely received 750 morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs). After the first reduction, 4,842 patients routinely received 520 MMEs. After a second reduction, 5,688 patients routinely received 320 MMEs. We analyzed refill rates, refill MMEs, and whether discharge MMEs were associated with refill MMEs in a multivariate model. Results. Opioid refill rates were 28%, 32%, and 33% in each timeframe (p=0.001). Significantly fewer patients received narcotic refills after 6 weeks in the 320 MME group (8%) compared to the 750 MME group (6%, p=0.02). Total refill MMEs reduced significantly from a mean of 282 in the first to 227 in the last timeframe (p<0.001). After controlling for age, sex, BMI, history of anxiety/depression, and procedure type, opioid discharge of <400 MMEs was not a risk factor for increased refill MMEs in opioid-naïve patients (p=0.23). Conclusion. While decrease in MMEs prescribed at discharge after arthroplasty led to a slight increase in the number of opioid refills (5%), there was a reduction in total refill MMEs. Furthermore, less patients received refills beyond 6 weeks postoperatively. This institutional cultural change led to a reduction in opioid prescriptions after primary arthroplasty equivalent to 500,000 oxycodone 5 mg tablets

Introduction. Even as the outcomes of primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) continue to improve, there remain increasing concerns about pain control after surgery and prolonged narcotic use. Cryoneurolysis has been demonstrated to reduce osteoarthritis knee pain for up to 90 days. We hypothesized that postoperative narcotic use could be reduced following preoperative cryoneurolysis of the superficial genicular nerves. Methods. Primary TKA patients were randomized into either a control or cryoneurolysis treatment group. Both followed the same preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative pain management protocol, except the treatment group had cryoneurolysis of their superficial genicular nerves 3–7 days prior to surgery. All patients were prescribed 40 narcotic pills at discharge and pills were counted at 72 hours and at 2,6, and 12 weeks postoperatively. The primary endpoint was daily morphine equivalent (DME) based on pill count and secondary endpoints were changes in pain and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement (KOOS, Jr.) scores. Results. Per-protocol results demonstrated that the DME for the treatment group was significantly lower at 72 hours (10.9 mg vs. 14.9 mg, p=0.0389), 6 weeks (4.2 mg vs. 5.9 mg, p=0.0186) and 12 weeks (2.4 mg vs 3.4 mg p=0.0234). Overall, there was a 29% reduction in the DMEs over the entire 12-week postoperative period. Only 14% of the treatment group consumed opioids past 6 weeks compared to 44% of the control group (p=0.0005). The treatment group demonstrated a greater reduction in pain scores from baseline at 72 hours and 12 weeks. The treatment group also showed significant improvements in KOOS Jr. scores compared to the control group at all timepoints. Conclusions. The results demonstrate that preoperative cryoneurolysis can reduce opioid consumption after TKA. The early cessation of opioid consumption is especially encouraging given the association of prolonged narcotic use with increased complications following surgery. Preoperative cryoneurolysis should be considered as part of a multimodal protocol to reduce opioid consumption and pain and improve function after TKA. For figures, tables, or references, please contact authors directly

Aims. Complex joint fractures of the lower extremity are often accompanied by soft-tissue swelling and are associated with prolonged hospitalization and soft-tissue complications. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of vascular impulse technology (VIT) on soft-tissue conditioning in comparison with conventional elevation. Methods. A total of 100 patients were included in this prospective, randomized, controlled monocentre study allocated to the three subgroups of dislocated ankle fracture (n = 40), pilon fracture (n = 20), and intra-articular calcaneal fracture (n = 40). Patients were randomized to the two study groups in a 1:1 ratio. The effectiveness of VIT (intervention) compared with elevation (control) was analyzed separately for the whole study population and for the three subgroups. The primary endpoint was the time from admission until operability (in days). Results. The mean length of time until operability was 8.2 days (SD 3.0) in the intervention group and 10.2 days (SD 3.7) in the control group across all three fractures groups combined (p = 0.004). An analysis of the subgroups revealed that a significant reduction in the time to operability was achieved in two of the three: with 8.6 days (SD 2.2) versus 10.6 days (SD 3.6) in ankle fractures (p = 0.043), 9.8 days (SD 4.1) versus 12.5 days (SD 5.1) in pilon fractures (p = 0.205), and 7.0 days (SD 2.6) versus 8.4 days (SD 1.5) in calcaneal fractures (p = 0.043). A lower length of stay (p = 0.007), a reduction in pain (p. preop. = 0.05; p. discharge. < 0.001) and need for narcotics (p. preop. = 0.064; p. postop. = 0.072), an increased reduction in swelling (p < 0.001), and a lower revision rate (p = 0.044) could also be seen, and a trend towards fewer complications (p = 0.216) became apparent. Conclusion. Compared with elevation, VIT results in a significant reduction in the time to achieve operability in complex joint fractures of the lower limb. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(4):746–754

Previous authors have suggested that the analgesic effects of intra-articular morphine may be beneficial. Clonidine has been found to potentiate the analgesic effect of morphine. Following knee arthroscopy, morphine has demonstrated equivocal effect in comparison to bupivicaine for analgesia while circumventing the issue of chondrotoxicity. There have been no studies evaluating the effect of intra-articular morphine following hip arthroscopy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular morphine in combination with clonidine on pain and narcotic consumption following hip arthroscopy surgery for femoroacetabular impingement. A retrospective review was performed on 43 patients that underwent hip arthroscopy between September 2014 and May 2015 at our institution for femoroacetabular impingement. All patients received preoperative Celebrex and Tylenol per our anesthesia protocol, and 22 patients received an additional intra-articular injection of 10 mg morphine and 100 mcg of clonidine at the conclusion of the procedure. Narcotic consumption, duration of anesthesia recovery, and perioperative pain scores were compared between the two groups. We found that patients who received intra-articular morphine and clonidine used significantly less opioid analgesic in the PACU, with 23 mEq of morphine equivalents required in the intra-articular morphine and clonidine group compared to 40 mEq of opiod equivalents in the non-injection group (p=0.0259). There were no statistically significant differences in time spent in recovery prior to discharge or in VAS pain scores recorded immediately post-operatively and at one hour following surgery. In conclusion, we found that an intraoperative intra-articular injection of morphine and clonidine significantly reduced the amount of narcotic requirement following hip arthroscopy. We do believe that there may be significant benefits to this, including less systemic effects from overall narcotic usage in the perioperative period. Our study demonstrated a beneficial effect of intra-articular morphine that may help with overall pain improvement, less narcotic consumption, and improved patient satisfaction following outpatient hip arthroscopy. This study provides the foundation for future research currently being conducted in a randomised-control setting

Abstract. Introduction. Adverse reactions to pain medication and pain can delay discharge after outpatient knee arthroplasty (TKA). Pharmacogenomics is an emerging tool that might help reduce adverse events by tailoring medication use based on known genetic variations in the CYP genes determining drug metabolism. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether pre-operative pharmacogenomic testing could optimize peri-operative pain management in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods. This prospective, randomized study was performed in adults undergoing primary TKA. Patients in the experimental group underwent pre-operative pharmacogenomic evaluation and medication adjustments. Medications were not optimized for control patients. The Overall Benefit of Analgesic Score (OBAS) at 24 hours post-op was the primary outcome. Postoperative pain scores (VAS scale), total opioid use, time in recovery, and time to discharge were also compared. Results. 76 patients enrolled. 93% of patients had a poor-intermediate phenotype for at least one of four CYP genes. OBAS did not differ significantly between the two groups (4.2 control vs. 4.7 experimental; 95% CI −1.1 to 2.1) and was below the minimum clinically important difference of 2.0 points. Furthermore, there were no differences in any OBAS subscale including pain, satisfaction, or nausea. There were no differences in time in the recovery area or to discharge from hospital, or narcotic use. Conclusions. Despite many patients having a poor-intermediate phenotype for a CYP gene, pharmacogenomic testing prior to TKA and medication adjustment did not improve anesthesia or pain management outcomes, time to discharge or mean total opioid use after surgery

Introduction. Multimodal pain management strategies are now commonplace in perioperative management of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), although controversy remains regarding the role of adductor canal blocks (ACB) in this algorithm. Proposed benefits include theoretical decreased role of perioperative narcotic pain medication, improved function with physical therapy postoperatively, shorter duration of hospital stay and improved patient satisfaction. Those opposed cite increased cost and risk of complications including inadvertent motor blockade. The purpose of this study was to independently evaluate the effect of adductor canal block on short-term post-operative outcomes including (1) length of stay (LOS), (2) post-operative narcotic utilization, and (3) function with physical therapy in the era of modern TKA. Methods. Our institutional database was utilized to retrospectively identify a cohort of consecutive patients from January 2014-January 2018 who had undergone unilateral primary TKA with a single surgeon utilizing a preoperative single-shot ACB in addition to a standardized multimodal pain regimen versus those that only received the same multimodal pain regimen (no-ACB). The primary reason that a patient did not receive a preoperative block was lack of availability of the block team The time period of interest was selected based on the implementation of our current pain protocols. The multimodal pain regimen consists of: preoperative Tylenol, a periarticular injection intraoperatively including 0.5% Marcaine and Toradol, IV Toradol postoperatively, Percocet, Celebrex and IV narcotic medication for breakthrough pain. These 2 groups were compared utilizing independent sample T-tests with primary endpoints of interest being LOS (in total hours and as %day 1 discharges (%POD1)), distance ambulated with inpatient therapy on postoperative day 1, and inpatient narcotic use as measured in morphine equivalents per hour. A sub-cohort of patients with adductor canal block was then selected based on time of surgery to control for time of discharge and hours in the hospital to isolate the effect of the block. Results. There were 624 patients in the ACB group, with a mean age of 64.5 years. The group without ACB consisted of 69 patients, with a mean age of 67.2 years. The no-ACB group was slightly older (p=0.024) but not significantly different in terms of BMI (32.6 vs 31.7, p=0.291). The ACB group ambulated significantly further with inpatient therapy on postoperative day 1 (75.8 vs 59.9 ft, p=0.008), had a shorter LOS in both total hours and %POD1 (34.8 vs 40.6 hours, p=0.01, 83% vs 66.6%, p=0.01). Finally, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in narcotic utilization postoperatively (2.361 vs 2.0 97, p=0.088). The subcohort of patients that had adductor canal blocks who had their surgery in the afternoon (n=157) were compared to the remainder of the patients to control for LOS data and no statistical differences were seen in either total hospital hours or %POD1. Conclusion. Adductor canal blocks did not decrease post-operative pain medication utilization. The modest improvement in distance ambulated with therapy on POD1 (16 ft) and length of stay (16% greater POD1 discharges) of hospitalization may not support the cost effectiveness of this intervention

The use of spinal anesthesia with adjuvant intra-thecal opioids has been commonly used in total knee arthroplasty without documented clinical benefit. It has been associated with a potential increase in side effects, including nausea, vomiting, pruritus, urinary retention and oxygen usage. This double-blinded RCT investigated whether the addition of epimorph to spinal anesthesia in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty resulted in superior pain control and decreased narcotic consumption without also causing an increase in postoperative complication rates. We performed a prospective double-blind trial in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients were randomised to receive either spinal anesthesia alone or spinal anesthesia with epimorph (150 ug). All patients received infiltration of a local anesthetic cocktail intraoperatively. Both the study patients and staff measuring outcomes were blinded to the experimental treatment received during data collection. Postoperatively, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain was recorded at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48hrs and a final value at 1 week. Narcotic use, Foley insertion, oxygen requirements, nausea, vomiting and pruritus were recorded during the course of hospitalisation. Forty-one patients were randomised into each of the spinal with epimorph and spinal alone treatment arms. The groups showed no significant differences in BMI, age, and gender distribution. In the first 12 hours postoperatively there was no difference in VAS for pain between the two groups, however there were significantly lower pain scores in the spinal alone patients at 18 hours (p=0.002), 24 hours (p=0.04) and 48 hours (p = 0.03) compared to the spinal with epimorph group. Narcotic usage was greater in the spinal group during the first 6 hours postoperatively, but beyond this time point narcotic usage was similar between the two groups. Additionally, there was a statistically significant increase in rate of complications with spinal epimorph including nausea (p=0.037) and pruritus (p=0.024). The incidence of urinary retention was greater in the spinal epimorph group, however this did not reach statistical significance. This study demonstrates no clinical benefit with the addition of intra-thecal opioids to spinal anesthetic in primary TKA. In addition to a failing to reduce VAS pain scores and overall narcotic consumption, increased complication rates were seen. For these reasons, this study does not support the use of epimorph in addition to spinal anesthesia for pain control in TKA

Pain, swelling and inflammation are expected during the recovery from total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery. The severity of these factors and how a patient copes with them may determine the ultimate outcome of a TKA. Cryotherapy and compression are frequently used modalities to mitigate these commonly experienced sequelae. However, their effect on range of motion, functional testing, and narcotic consumption has not been well-studied. A prospective, multi-center, randomised trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a cryopneumatic device on post-operative TKA recovery. Patients were randomised to treatment with a cryopneumatic device or ice with static compression. A total of 280 patients were enrolled at 11 international sites. Both treatments were initiated within three hours post-operation and used at least four times per day for two weeks. The cryopneumatic device was titrated for cooling and pressure by the patient to their comfort level. Patients were evaluated by physical therapists blinded to the treatment arm. Range of motion (ROM), knee girth, six minute walk test (6MWT) and timed up and go test (TUG) were measured pre-operatively, two- and six-weeks post-operatively. A visual analog pain score and narcotic consumption was also measured post-operatively. At two weeks post-operatively, both the treatment and control groups had diminished ROM and function compared to pre-operatively. Both groups had increased knee girth compared to pre- operatively. There was no significant difference in ROM, 6MWT, TUG, or knee girth between the 2 groups. We did find a significantly lower amount of narcotic consumption (509 mg morphine equivalents) in the treatment group compared with the control group (680 mg morphine equivalents) at up to two weeks postop, when the cryopneumatic device was being used (p < 0.05). Between two and six weeks, there was no difference in the total amount of narcotics consumed between the two groups. At six weeks, there was a trend toward a greater distance walked in the 6MWT in the treatment group (29.4 meters versus 7.9 meters, p = 0.13). There was a significant difference in the satisfaction scores of patients with their cooling regimen, with greater satisfaction in the treatment group (p < 0.0001). There was no difference in ROM, TUG, VAS, or knee girth at six weeks. There was no difference in adverse events or compliance between the two groups. A cryopneumatic device used after TKA appeared to decrease the need for narcotic medication from hospital discharge to 2 weeks post-operatively. There was also a trend toward a greater distance walked in the 6MWT. Patient satisfaction with the cryopneumatic cooling regimen was significantly higher than with the control treatment.

Patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) are commonly associated with high pain scores and narcotic use. Duloxetine is effective in relieving chronic pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of duloxetine for pain management following THA/TKA. Five major databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science) were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared duloxetine to placebo in patients that underwent THA/TKA. The primary outcome was pain reduction with rest and movement at short-term and long-term time intervals. Secondary outcomes were the use of analgesics, length of stay, and safety profile. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Data were pooled using RevMan 5.4. The results were reported as mean difference (MD) or standardised MD (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Eight RCTs with 767 patients were included. 50.2% (n=385/767) of patients received duloxetine. After one day, duloxetine was superior to the control regarding pain reduction with rest (SMD= −0.22 [−0.41, −0.03], p=0.02) after sensitivity analysis and pain reduction at movement (SMD= −0.39 [−0.55, −0.24], p<0.001). Similarly, after 12 weeks, duloxetine significantly reduced pain with rest (SMD= −0.3 [−0.52, −0.09], p=0.006) and pain with movement (SMD= −0.52 [−0.87, −0.17], p=0.003). In addition, after sensitivity analysis, duloxetine was associated with less analgesic use after one day (MD= −4.65 [−7.3, −2.01], p<0.001) and two days (MD= −5.65 [−10.62, −0.67], p=0.03). Patients who received duloxetine also required fewer analgesics after three days. However, there was no significant difference between the duloxetine and control groups in analgesic use after one week, length of stay, and adverse events. Duloxetine was superior to the placebo regarding short-term and long-term pain reduction with rest and movement following THA/TKA. Duloxetine reduced postoperative analgesic use. There was no significant difference between duloxetine and placebo regarding adverse events and length of stay