The use of opioids (narcotic pain medication), often prescribed for chronic musculoskeletal pain, has skyrocketed in recent years with 98 percent of the world's opioid prescriptions filled in North America. Two research studies presented this week at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), link decreased opioid use prior to joint replacement surgery with improved patient satisfaction and outcomes, fewer complications, and a reduced need for post-surgical opioids.