Acupuncture for Low-Dose Opioid for TKA Replacement

The majority of patients undergoing total knee replacement(TKR) rely on opioids for postoperative analgesia. These medications have undesirable side effects and potential for abuse and addiction. The aim of this cohort study is to determine the incidence rate of patients who are able to maintain a low dose opioid regimen after TKR with the use of a multimodal approach that includes intraoperative auricular acupuncture protocol.

This is a prospective cohort study to assess the feasibility of patients to undergo TKR while adhering to a low-dose opioid regimen by using a multimodal analgesic approach that includes intraoperativeauricular acupuncture. We hypothesize that it will be feasible to maintain a low-dose opioid regimen during TKR while followingthe intraoperative auricular acupuncture protocol, and that patients will be satisfied with their pain control with a low incidence of adverse events.