Oral Multimodal Analgesia for Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Background: Oral multimodal analgesia for hip and knee arthroplasty is increasingly used as part of enhanced recovery protocols designed to minimize early postoperative pain and to facilitate early discharge, while minimizing undesirable side effects related to single-agent opioid administration.

Methods: This article is a review of previously published data evaluating the use of various oral medications in the management of postoperative pain after lower extremity arthroplasty and was presented as part of a symposium at the November 2016 AAHKS Annual Meeting.

Results: Multimodal analgesia has been shown to reduce opioid consumption and side effects, with a positive effect on both early and longer term outcomes for hip and knee arthroplasty patients.