AAOS NOW / ISSUE: FEB 2021 / RESEARCH04
The United States is in the midst of an epidemic of opioid misuse, overdoses, and overdose deaths. Of the approximately 70,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2017, approximately two-thirds involved an opioid. Prior studies have estimated the aggregate economic cost of the opioid epidemic to be nearly $80 billion a year. Although opioids are still commonly prescribed following many orthopaedic procedures, research has demonstrated that opioid use after orthopaedic surgery is associated with higher inpatient mortality, aggregate morbidity, and prolonged hospital stay. In the face of this epidemic, there have been increased efforts to pursue safer, alternative forms of pain alleviation. One of the most promising alternatives that has received significant media and medical attention is cannabinoids. As legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana use continues to expand in the United States, cannabinoids are being increasingly studied for use in a wide array of medical applications, including treatment of chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome.