A new study published in The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery examines opioid use after hip arthroscopy.
Study authors examined a private insurance database with patients who underwent hip arthroscopy from 2007 to 2015. The patients all had a minimum of six month follow-up.
Researchers found:
1. Over the study period, researchers reported a downward trend in the number of patients who had prolonged postoperative opioid analgesic use. However, preoperative opioid use was the most significant factor for prolonged postoperative opioid use.
2. Patients who took other preoperative prescriptions such as muscle relaxants and anxiolytics were also at risk for prolonged postoperative opioid use.
3. Preoperative opioid use was associated with a higher risk for complications, emergency room visits and converting the hip arthroscopy to total hip arthroplasty. The prolonged postoperative opioid use also put patients at a higher risk of needing a revision hip arthroscopy or total hip replacement.
4. Around 25 percent of patients undergoing hip arthroscopies were still receiving opioid prescriptions three months after surgery, according to the report.
5. Patients with back pain, morbid obesity or substance abuse history were more likely to have prolonged postoperative opioid use.