The pain management techniques have generated an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse. A recent study published in Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeonssuggested that there is no valid association between opioid intake and disability after the surgical management of ankle fractures.

 The study elaborates onwhether opioid intake is concerned with disability, satisfaction with treatment, and pain at the time of suture removal and at 5 to 8 months after suture removal after open reduction and internal fixation of ankle fractures.

Out of a total of 102 adult patients at the time of suture removal, only 59 were available for follow-up at 5 to 8 months. Opioid use; trauma-related factors; and scores on measures of disability, pain, and treatment satisfaction were noted at the time of suture removal. The patients who were available for follow-up completed the disability, pain, and treatment satisfaction measures at 5 to 8 months and their opioid use at that time was noted.

As per the results, no relationship was found between opioid intake and disability at the time of suture removal.  Also, no variables were related with opioid intake at 5 to 8 months after suture removal. The psychologic measures of pain anxiety and catastrophic thinking were the features most uniformly associated with disability, treatment satisfaction, satisfaction with pain management, pain at rest, and pain with activity at both of the time points.

Therefore, the pateints with ankle fractures may be able to use fewer opioids than are currently prescribed. These patients might encounter levels of disability and treatment satisfaction comparable with those of patients who take greater amounts of opioids, irrespectiveof injury features.