Non-opioid pain management in younger patients undergoing arthroscopic glenoid labrum surgery: a randomized controlled trial.
Haley N Tornberg, Megan K Czachor, Caroline T Gutowski et al.
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In 30 seconds
This single-center, prospective randomized controlled trial compared multimodal non-opioid pain management with a protocol prescribing five oxycodone 5 mg tablets in opioid-naive patients aged 15–25 years undergoing arthroscopic glenoid labrum repair; all received an interscalene block. Among 34 patients, 29 (85.29%) used no postoperative opioids. Intention-to-treat analysis found no significant differences between groups in daily opioid consumption, pain scores, or satisfaction. Mean total morphine milligram equivalent consumption was low in both groups (experimental 4.0 vs. control 2.4). By day 14, 88.24% reported being very satisfied with pain management.
Key findings
- Twenty-nine patients (85.29%) consumed no postoperative opioids: 16 (94.12%) in the non-opioid group and 13 (76.47%) in the control group.
- Mean total MME consumption was experimental 4.0 vs. control 2.4, with no significant between-group differences in daily MME use (P > .05).
- Pain scores and satisfaction with pain control did not differ significantly between groups (P > .05).
- By postoperative day 14, 88.24% of patients reported being very satisfied with pain management.
Why it matters
Postoperative opioid use was low in both randomized groups, and pain scores and satisfaction were similar. These findings add evidence that opioid-sparing approaches may provide acceptable pain control for young, opioid-naive patients after arthroscopic labral repair, while highlighting that opioid consumption can remain low even when a small opioid prescription is available.
What to keep in mind
The trial was single-center and included 34 patients, limiting the precision and generalizability of its findings.