2022 OTA Annual Meeting : Do NSAIDs Increase the Risk of Non-Union? Results of the PAIN Study, A Three-Arm, Multicenter, Double Blind, Randomized Control Trial

Four hundred and thirty-five trauma patients were randomized in this non-inferiority trial to receive standard pain management plus an NSAID (n=141), pregabalin, (n=146) or placebo (n=148). Outcomes of interest included non-union between 6-12 months post-surgery, opioid utilization in the first 48 hours, and pain scores at 3 months. Results revealed NSAIDs and pregabalin to be non-inferior to placebo with respect to non-union. However, no significant reductions in opioid consumption or pain scores were observed. Future studies testing different doses and treatment lengths are of interest.