Science Daily reported on a new study, “Trends and predictors of opioid use after total knee and total hip arthroplasty” published in PAIN®, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain. The study showed that many patients undergoing hip or knee replacement are still taking prescription opioid pain medications up to six months after surgery.
“Led by Jenna Goesling, PhD, of the University of Michigan, the study identifies several ‘red flags’ for persistent opioid use – particularly previous use of high-dose opioids. The results also suggest that some patients continue to use these potentially addictive pain medications despite improvement in their hip or knee pain,” the article reports. Full story.
