A study conducted in Canada and published in the August issue of The Journal of Pain examines predictive factors for prescription opioid use after traumatic musculoskeletal injury. 

The authors conducted a prospective, longitudinal study of 122 adult patients who sustained a traumatic musculoskeletal injury, 115 of whom were using prescription opioids within 14 days of injury. At 4-month follow-up, they found that 35.3 percent (n = 43) of patients were using prescription opioids. After adjustment, the authors found that pain severity and pain self-efficacy were significant factors linked to continued prescription opioid use. Learn more...