Papers of the Week

Osteoarthritis is a common debilitating condition affecting a substantial portion of the population and is an accepted consequence of aging and over use. Whilst surgical interventions are a definitive approach, most cases are managed medically with analgesia. Pharmacological therapies have included acetaminophen, NSAIDs and opiates. Although significant controversies exist in the use of opioids for chronic musculoskeletal pain, many leading guidelines continue to recommend its use despite increasing evidence to suggest an increase in addiction, morbidity and mortality. With the opiate crisis growing, we re-examine the role opiates have in this chronic condition, current data and briefly evaluate alternative therapies.