New paradigms in pain management after skeletal trauma: Orthopaedic Trauma Association's 2023 Basic Science Focus Forum Symposium.

Abstract

Traumatic injuries are associated with significant acute pain and subsequent high risk of the development of chronic pain. However, addressing pain after skeletal trauma presents a complex challenge to achieve effective pain relief that minimizes risk of addiction and does not interfere with functional recovery. The Orthopaedic Trauma Association's 2023 Basic Science Focus Forum aimed to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical outcomes with an educational symposium on pain management designed to foster collaboration and provide practical strategies from the frontiers of pain research. Owing to the subjective and multifaceted nature of pain, the development of effective preclinical and clinical pain assessment measures is the first step to making impactful progress in studying pain. Preclinical models prove a valuable tool for studying the molecular mechanisms associated with pain following orthopaedic trauma. These models also allow study of the efficacy of novel pain management techniques, such as testing novel analgesics. Translating novel analgesics and pain management strategies to the clinic requires that we have accurate methods to describe pain to determine whether new approaches are meaningful. It is also necessary to recognize the patient's role and the importance of patient education in the prevention of pain medication misuse, particularly in light of the current national opioid crisis. Overall, collaboration with orthopaedic surgeons in the application of these strategies in a clinical setting is vital for addressing the downfalls of current pain management efforts and providing patients with safe and effective improvements in pain relief after skeletal trauma.