While a majority of people who undergo TKA have significant long-term improvement in
functional ability, many patients may experience significant pain in the early postoperative
period, which may adversely impact postoperative rehabilitation and recovery. Traditionally,
opioid medications have been used to control postoperative pain. However, there are many
risks with using opioid medications, including addiction and overdose, which kills over
48,000 people yearly. In an effort to overcome this, opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia
(MMA) regimens have been developed, commonly using nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs), acetaminophen, regional nerve blocks, and local anesthesia.