Theodore A. Blaine, MD, sports medicine surgeon at HSS, discussed a multicenter, randomized controlled trial that assessed the effectiveness of a cryo-pneumatic compression device in reducing pain after shoulder surgery in 200 patients. One group received cryo-pneumatic compression therapy, while the control group used traditional methods, possibly including cryotherapy without pneumatic compression. The primary outcome was opioid use reduction, measured in oral morphine milligram equivalents (OMME), while secondary outcomes included patient-reported measures, such as the SF-36 and numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores. 

Results showed patients using the cryo-pneumatic compression device consumed significantly fewer opioids compared with the control group, and this was accompanied by an improvement in the SF-36 physical function score 2 weeks postoperatively (P < .05.) However, there was no significant difference in time to cessation of opioid use between the groups, nor were there significant differences in pain scores or other quality of life measures throughout the 12-week study period. 

While this is a well-designed randomized controlled trial and the results suggest that cryo-pneumatic compression may reduce opioid use in the early postoperative period after shoulder surgery, the strength of this conclusion is limited by the lack of statistically significant improvements in pain scores during the duration of the trial. 

Read the full article at healio.com.