Study Examines TJA as Risk Factor for Opioid Dependence

Healio reported on February 1 that “patients who undergo total joint arthroplasty in the outpatient setting are less likely to become persistent opioid users than those who undergo inpatient total joint arthroplasty.” The originating study, published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, examined outcomes from more than 90,000 patients who received both inpatient and outpatient TJA between 2007 and 2017. While both groups were prescribed opioids at similar rates, the inpatient group was significantly more likely to still be taking opioids 90 days post-surgery.