To identify predictors of persistent opioid use in opioid-naïve individuals undergoing total joint arthroplasty, highlighting the importance of these predictors in improving postoperative care.
Key Findings:
12.3% of patients had persistent opioid use defined as at least one opioid prescription between 90 days and 1 year after surgery, from a total of 6432 patients analyzed.
Interpretation:
The predictive model shows promise for identifying high-risk patients for persistent opioid use, enabling targeted interventions to reduce opioid reliance post-surgery, which is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Limitations:
Retrospective design may limit causality inference and introduce biases.
Exclusion of patients with prior opioid use may affect generalizability.
Conclusion:
The study contributes to understanding risk factors for persistent opioid use in opioid-naïve patients post-total joint arthroplasty, aiding in the development of predictive tools for better pain management strategies and addressing the opioid crisis.
