Painkillers May Slow Rotator Cuff Healing

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http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2004/06/25/hscout519754.

html

.... Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) -- which include aspirin,

ibuprofen, and arthritis drugs such as Celebrex and Vioxx -- are often the

medication of choice to relieve post-operative pain following rotator-cuff

surgery.

But according to a new study, these drugs may also have adverse effects on

bone healing, which is a necessary part of rotator-cuff recovery. ...

Most rotator cuff repair involves reattaching the tendon back to the bone

and then letting the bone grow back into the tissue. However, " our failure

rates are quite high, up to 50 percent, " said Dr. A. Rodeo, one of the

authors of the study and an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the

Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Although NSAIDs have not been studied yet in tendons-to-bone healing, they

have been shown to negatively affect healing of fractures, spinal fusions,

and ligament healing.

" The interaction between NSAIDs and the process of healing has been

suspected for a long time and is the source of an ongoing argument, " ...

" NSAIDs may interfere with the process of healing by their very nature, " he

said. " They are supposed to fight inflammation, but inflammation is part of

the healing process. " ...

If in fact it does turn out that NSAIDs were inhibiting healing in humans,

there are several alternative medications for pain relief, including

acetaminophen medications such as Tylenol, or various opiates. ...

But Dubois noted that the " the advantage of NSAIDs is the fact that they are

supposed to have less side effects. "