Grit is not associated with opioid consumption patterns in patients that undergo arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether patient grit is associated with postoperative opioid consumption and pain/functional outcomes following primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). Methods: This is a prospective longitudinal study set in a single ambulatory surgical center in a large metropolitan area. Patients aged 18 or older undergoing primary ARCR were enrolled starting December 2019 with a target sample size of N = 120. Patients were excluded on the basis of chronic opioid use, worker's compensation, and concomitant operation including any of the following procedures: Bankart repair, superior labrum anterior to posterior repair, posterior-inferior labral repair, and open reduction internal fixation. All patients received the same postoperative pain protocol: 1-2 pills of oxycodone 5 mg every 4 hours, 3 pills of ibuprofen 200 mg every 8 hours, and 2 pills of acetaminophen 500 mg every 8 hours (all as needed).The primary outcome was morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) consumed within the first 2 weeks after surgery. Secondary outcomes included preoperative and postoperative 12-item Grit score (Grit-12), Brief Resilience Score (BRS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), pain scale, and visual analog scale (VAS) pain score. Bivariate Pearson and Spearman correlations were conducted between Grit-12 score and (1) MMEs, (2) BRS, (3) PCS, and (4) VAS pain score for the affected shoulder. Conclusion: Although perseverance and resiliency have been associated with better ability to handle adversity, there seems to be no association between patient grit or resiliency scores and opioid consumption during the first 2 weeks following ARCR.