Antineuropathic Pain Management After Orthopedic Surgery: A Systematic Review
Taylor Harder, Jacob Harder, Gracie Baum, Cameron Cox, Justin Harder, Evan Hernandez, Brendan MacKay- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Background
The opioid crisis has become a present concern in the medical field. In an effort to address these complications, antineuropathic pain medications have been considered as alternatives to prescribed opioids.
Objective
This review focuses on the analgesic effects of neuromodulators, such as gabapentin, duloxetine, and pregabalin, that provide room for less dependence on narcotic analgesics following orthopedic surgery.
Methods
During the database searches, 1,033 records were identified as a preliminary result. After duplicates were removed, an initial screen of each article was completed which identified records to be removed due to absence of a full-text article. Articles were excluded if they were not either prospective or retrospective, showcased an irrelevant medication (such as tricyclic antidepressants) which are not pertinent to this review, or deemed to be unrelated to the topic.
Results
Ultimately, 19 articles were selected. Three different drugs, gabapentin, pregabalin, and duloxetine, were analyzed to compile data on the effectiveness of preventing opioid overuse and addiction following hand surgery.