Editorial Commentary: Hip Preservation and Opioids

Movement if Life-Optimizing Patient Access to Total Joint Arthroplasty: Alcohol and Substance Abuse Disparities

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and substance use disorders (SUDs) place patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty at notable risk for complications. AUD and SUD disproportionately affect vulnerable communities and often coexist. Following is a discussion of the presence of these disorders in vulnerable populations and approaches to screening for them to optimize care and reduce the risks of joint arthroplasty surgery. 25.1% of American adults report binge drinking in the past year, and 5.8% of American adults carry a diagnosis of AUD. Alcohol consumption and AUD disproportionately affect American Indians/Alaskan Natives, and heavy episodic drinking is highest in Latinx and American Indians. AUD is higher in those who are unemployed, have lower education level, and those who are single/divorced. Alcohol use in the preoperative period is associated with difficulty maintaining blood pressure during surgery, infections, wound disruptions, and increased length of stay. In addition, patients with AUD or unhealthy alcohol use have a greater comorbidity burden, including liver disease and dementia, that predisposes them to poor surgical outcomes. Optimization in these vulnerable populations include proper screening, cessation programs, psychosocial interventions, assessment of support systems, and pharmacologic interventions. 38% of adults battle a drug use disorder. Twenty-one million Americans have at least one addiction, but only 10% receive treatment. Rates of opioid use and opioid-related deaths have continued to rise. Recreational drug use is highest in American Indians. Marijuana use is highest in Black and Latinx lesbian, gay, and bisexual women. Overall, substance use is associated with depression and anxiety; discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sex, or sexual preference is also deeply interwoven with depression, anxiety, and substance use. Preoperative use of opioids is the number one predictor of prolonged chronic postoperative opioid use. Optimization in these vulnerable groups begins with appropriate screening, followed by psychosocial interventions, social work and substance abuse counseling, and pharmacologic therapies.

Effect of Perioperative Opioid Use on Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy

Background

Opioids are commonly used to treat postoperative pain; however, guidelines vary regarding safe opioid use after hip arthroscopy.

Purpose/Hypothesis

The purposes were to (1) identify risk factors for persistent opioid use, (2) assess the effect of opioid use on outcomes, and (3) describe common opioid prescribing patterns after hip arthroscopy. It was hypothesized that preoperative opioid use would affect complication rates and result in greater postoperative opioid use.

Study Design

Case-control study; Level of evidence 3.

Methods

The Utah State All Payer Claims Database was queried for patients who underwent hip arthroscopy between January 2013 and December 2017. Included were patients ≥14 years of age at index surgery with continuous insurance. Patients were separated into acute (<3 months) and chronic (≥3 months) postoperative opioid use groups. Primary outcomes included revision surgery, complications (infection, pulmonary embolism/deep venous thrombosis, death), emergency department (ED) visits, and hospital admissions. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to identify factors associated with the outcomes.

Results

Included were 2835 patients (mean age, 47 years; range, 14-64 years), of whom 2544 were in the acute opioid use and 291 were in the chronic opioid use group. Notably, 91% of the patients in the chronic group took opioid medications preoperatively, and they were more than twice as likely to carry a mental health diagnosis (P < .01). Patients in the acute group had a significantly shorter initial prescription duration, took fewer opioid pills, and had fewer refills than those in the chronic group (P < .01 for all). Patients in the chronic group had a significantly higher risk of postoperative ED visits (odds ratio [OR], 2.76; P = .008), hospital admission (OR, 3.02; P = .002), and additional surgery (P = .003), as well as infection (OR, 2.55; P < .001) and hematoma (OR, 2.43; P = .030). Patients who had used opioids before hip arthroscopy were more likely to need more refills (P < .01). A formal opioid use disorder diagnosis correlated significantly with postoperative hospital admissions (OR, 3.83; P = .044) and revision hip arthroscopy (OR, 4.72; P = .003).

Conclusion

Mental health and substance use disorders were more common in patients with chronic postoperative opioid use, and chronic postoperative opioid use was associated with greater likelihood of postoperative complications. Preoperative opioid use was significantly correlated with chronic postoperative opioid use and with increased refill requests after index arthroscopy.

Editorial Commentary: Hip Arthroscopists Can Reduce Postoperative Opioid Use

Despite the harrowing opioid crisis in the United States, the use of opioids to combat musculoskeletal pain continues to be widespread. In the setting of hip arthroscopy, approximately one-third of patients are on opioids while awaiting surgery to address the pain that results from femoracetabular impingement syndrome. In addition, the use of opioids to address pain postoperatively is common practice. With the rapid rise of hip arthroscopy in the United States, it is paramount that other modes of pain relief are promoted by surgeons in conjunction with allied health professionals, such as physical therapists. In fact, early physical therapy has been shown to decrease the use of postoperative opioids by 10%. The use of complementary and alternative therapies should be common practice in the in the orthopaedic setting to assist in reducing the number of opioids used for both pre and postoperative pain management. While this may be a small piece of the opioid crisis puzzle, it is up to all of us in the medical community to do our part and change the direction of the current opioid crisis.