Postoperative pain management in orthopedic surgery is vital for patient recovery yet challenging, given the high pain experienced by patients and variable prescribing patterns for opioids. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols emphasize a multimodal, opioid-sparing approach; however, options are currently limited to primarily acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti‑inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Suzetrigine (VX-548), recently approved by the FDA and marketed under the brand name Journavax, represents an innovative approach to pain management. Suzetrigine is a novel, peripherally selective sodium channel inhibitor targeting NaV1.8. Clinical trials have shown analgesia through Suzetrigine that is comparable with opioid therapy while maintaining a favorable safety profile and no evidence of abuse potential. This narrative review evaluates the existing framework for orthopedic pain management, examines the mechanism of action and clinical data for Suzetrigine, and assesses its potential integration into ERAS pathways with a focus on clinical efficacy and implementation feasibility.
McKay et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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