Cannabidiol as part of multimodal pain management? A survey of orthopedic surgeons’ attitudes and knowledge

Abstract

Aim: To assess orthopedic surgeons’ knowledge of cannabidiol (CBD) and the extent to which they would be receptive to researching and prescribing CBD.

Materials and Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was distributed electronically or in paper form to all 126 orthopedic surgeons at an orthopedic specialty hospital between June 5, 2019 and September 24, 2019. Surgeons were asked to provide demographic information, indicate familiarity with CBD, and express views regarding perioperative CBD use in the context of clinical practice and research.

Results: Out of 126 questionnaires, 94 were returned and evaluated. Most surgeons (86%) had some familiarity with CBD, though 68% did not know whether CBD would be a useful adjunct in the perioperative recovery process. The vast majority expressed interest in learning more about CBD (83%), studying CBD (88%), and recommending CBD to patients if shown to be opioid-sparing or NSAID-sparing (85%). Contingent upon further studies, no surgeons were categorically opposed to recommending CBD as part of a multimodal pain regimen.

Conclusion: The overall positive view of CBD by surgeons opens the door to future research which would elucidate the safety and efficacy of CBD in the orthopedic perioperative setting. If CBD is shown to be opioid-sparing, prescribing CBD may represent a solution to the ongoing opioid epidemic and change the pain management paradigm across various medical specialties.