Pain control is a critical after many surgical procedures. It is well known that orthopaedic
surgeries are among the most painful procedures, with total joint arthroplasty being a clear
example of this situation. Current trends in pain management are morphing and multimodal
opioid sparing protocols are now being evaluated and implemented, with results showing a
decrease in the amount of opioids being prescribed. Despite all efforts, most patients
experience pain and, in order to control it, multiple medications have been tried with
variable results. The most commonly prescribed medications are opioids, but side effects
associated with their use as well as their addictive potential are making them a less
desirable option for patients. Currently there is a trend towards diminishing opioids
consumption and prescribing alternative pain control regimens.Caffeine is a well known
molecule that when associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) potentiates
their analgesic effect and decreases the amount of doses required to control pain. Little is
known about the effect of caffeine over pain relief in patients undergoing total joint
arthroplasty, but preliminary results in other fields make us believe it could have a
potential benefit for patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty.