2022 AAOS Annual Meeting: Buccally Absorbed Cannabidiol Shows Promise in Treating Pain and Improving Satisfaction Immediately Following Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Placebo-Controlled, DoubleBlinded, Randomized Trial

100 patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were randomized to receive 14 days of oral, buccally absorbed cannabidiol (CBD; 25mg [<80kg] or 50mg [>80kg], three times per day) or placebo. Outcomes of interest included Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, opioid consumption, satisfaction with pain control, liver function, and nausea, assessed up to 14 days follow up. Cannabidiol result in signficantly lower VAS pain scores in the first day post-operation and greater patient satisfaction in the first 2 days post-operation vs. placebo. This benefit was more pronounced in the higher dose CBD group, which exceeded the minimal clinically important difference for VAS pain in shoulder arthroscopy. NO differences in opioid consumption or liver function were observed.