AAOS launches new Pain Management Resource Center to support safer, more personalized care

At a Glance

• New AAOS resource for clinicians, patients, and caregivers.
• Guidance on pain care, recovery, and opioid safety.
• Practical tools for informed treatment decisions.

Estimated read time: 3 minutes

With tens of millions of Americans living with acute and chronic pain, there’s an increasing focus on safer, more personalized approaches to treatment. As a first step in a broader pain management initiative, AAOS has launched an online Pain Management Resource Center to help orthopaedic surgeons and patients make informed decisions about pain care before, during, and after treatment.

Studies show many patients still struggle to access effective, individualized care, underscoring the growing need for trusted resources that help both patients and clinicians make better decisions.

To help address these challenges, orthopaedic surgeons must balance effective pain control with evolving patient expectations, ongoing opioid concerns, and a changing regulatory landscape. The new resource center brings together centralized access to practical tools, clinical guidance, and education tailored specifically to musculoskeletal care.

“Orthopaedic surgeons want to do what’s best for their patients, but pain management continues to evolve alongside new evidence and patient needs,” said Adam J. Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, an editor for the AAOS Pain Management Resource Center. “This resource brings together trusted, evidence-based information in one place, making it easier to access practical guidance that promotes better care and safer outcomes.”

The center offers targeted resources for both clinicians and patients to support decision making across the full continuum of orthopaedic care, not just postoperative recovery.

For patients and caregivers, the Pain Management Resource Center offers:

• visual guides to help explain pain, recovery, and treatment options at a glance;
• tools to support conversations with care teams about medications, recovery plans, and next steps; and
• practical information on nutrition, recovery strategies, and opioid safety.

For orthopaedic surgeons and care teams, resources include:

• perioperative pain management strategies tailored to orthopaedic procedures;
• topic-based pathways that guide clinicians to relevant learning and practical content for common pain management challenges; and
• access to CME opportunities through the AAOS learning environment.

“Patient expectations are changing as new innovations and surgical techniques create outcomes few would have predicted even five years ago,” said Vinod Dasa, MD, FAAOS, AAOS Pain Management Resource Center editor. “Having a centralized resource allows stakeholders to effectively find relevant and trusted information to guide their treatment journey.”

By bringing these resources together in one location, AAOS aims to support more consistent, patient-centered approaches to pain management while helping clinicians stay current with emerging evidence and best practices.

The Pain Management Resource Center was developed in partnership with founding partners Curonix LLC, Pacira BioSciences, Inc., Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Viatris.

The AAOS Pain Management Resource Center is available at aaos.org/pain.