Reduction of Opioids Prescribed Upon Discharge After Total Knee Arthroplasty Significantly Reduces Consumption: A Prospective Study Comparing Two States

Opioids prescribed for acute pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) play a contributing role in the number of opioid pills in circulation. At the height of an opioid epidemic in the United States, opioids are increasingly diverted, misused, and abused. Therefore, many states have enacted narcotic regulations in an attempt to curb opioid diversion and misuse. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of stricter state prescribing regulations on opioid consumption following TKA.

In total, 165 opioid-naive patients undergoing primary unilateral TKA at a single institution with a standardized perioperative pain protocol were reviewed. Seventy-one patients (group 1) resided in a state with strict opioid regulations that limit the initial number of pills dispensed and refills, whereas 92 patients (group 2) resided in another state without quantity and refill regulations. Patient demographics were similar between the 2 groups. Mean age was 64 and mean body mass index was 32 kg/m ². Opioid consumption, quantity, and refill patterns were collected for 6 weeks following surgery.

The average oral morphine equivalents consumed during the 6 weeks postsurgery were significantly lower in group 1 at 446.3 ± 266.3 mg (range 10-992) compared to group 2 at 622.6 ± 313.7 mg (range 20-1416) ( P < .001). The average oral morphine equivalent corresponds to 60 tablets of 5 mg oxycodone per patient in group 1 vs 84 tablets per patient in group 2. Fifty-nine (83%) patients in group 1 had stopped taking opioids within 6 weeks of surgery compared to 59 (64%) in group 2 ( P = .04).

Based on our results, the institution of state regulations aimed at decreasing the quantity and refills of postoperative opioids led patients to consume less opioids following TKA. Many patients are prescribed more opioids than they require which increases their consumption and can increase the risk for diversion, addiction, and misuse.

Level III; retrospective comparative cohort study.