Multimodal Pain Management in Orthopedic Surgery

Abstract

Background: Orthopedic surgery typically results in moderate to severe pain in a majority of patients. Opioids were traditionally the primary medication to target mechanisms of pain transmission. Multimodal analgesia has become a preferred method of pain management in orthopedic practice. Utilizing more than one mode to address post-surgical pain by recruiting multiple receptors through different medications accelerates the recovery process and decreases the need for opioids. By implementing effective analgesic techniques and interventions, this practice, in turn, decreases the usage of perioperative opioids, and in the long term, prevents addiction to pain medications and risk of opioid overdose. In orthopedic surgeries, previous studies have found that multimodal analgesia has reduced early opioid usage in the postoperative course. Pain is the result of direct injury to the nervous system, with a wide variety of chemicals directly stimulating or sensitizing the peripheral nociceptors. The pathophysiology behind the mechanism of post-surgical pain, along with the importance of preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative pain regimens are emphasized. A brief overview of pain medications and their properties is provided. These medications are further categorized, with information on special considerations and typical dosage requirements. Pain management should address both neuropathic and subjective types of pain. Effective pain control requires constant reassessment with individualized strategies. Conclusion: By focusing on multimodal analgesia, anesthesiologists can now utilize newer techniques for postoperative pain relief from orthopedic surgery, with better short-term and long-term outcomes for the patient.