Risk for Prolonged Opioid Use Following Total Knee Arthroplasty in Veterans.

Hadlandsmyth K, Vander Weg MW, McCoy KD, Mosher HJ, Vaughan-Sarrazin MS, Lund BC. Risk for Prolonged Opioid Use Following Total Knee Arthroplasty in Veterans. Journal of Arthroplasty. 2018 Jan 1; 33(1):119-123.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• CDA 10-017 – The Validity and Utility of Measures of Inappropriate Prescribing

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may be at risk for prolonged postsurgical opioid use due to a high prevalence of persistent postsurgical pain (20%) and high rates of presurgical opioid use. METHODS: The current study uses a Veterans Health Administration sample of 6653 Veterans who underwent TKA in the fiscal year 2014 that did not require surgical revision during the subsequent year. RESULTS: Sixty percent of the sample had used an opioid in the year prior to surgery, including 20% who were on long-term opioid use at the time of surgery (defined as 90+ days of continuous use) and 40% with any other opioid use in the year prior to surgery. In patients on long-term opioids at the time of surgery, 69% received opioids for at least 6 months and 57% for at least 12 months after TKA. In patients not on long-term opioids at the time of TKA, only 4% received opioids for at least 6 months and 2% for at least 12 months after TKA. Differing risk factors for prolonged opioid use 12 months after TKA were identified in these 2 cohorts (ie, those who were and were not receiving long-term opioids at TKA). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the greatest risk for prolonged opioid use after TKA is preoperative opioid use.