Opioid Use in Arthroscopic Surgery .

The opioid crisis continues to affect millions, and orthopaedics plays a central role because pain is nearly universal in this field—from injury to treatment. Traditionally, surgeons have prescribed large amounts of opioids based on habit, assumptions about pain, and concerns about inadequate relief driving patients back for help. The no pain randomized trial revealed that patients undergoing arthroscopic procedures require far fewer opioids than typically prescribed, and that lower prescriptions lead to lower actual consumption. This highlights how strongly patients follow the cues of the prescription itself. The findings support multimodal pain management, clear patient education, and careful prescribing to limit excess opioids that could be misused or diverted.