MSU Health Care announces that one of the newest additions to the team of remarkable orthopedic surgeons, Toufic Jildeh, received the O'Donoghue Sports Injury Award for his non-opioid research study. The award was given by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine at its 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs last week.

The AOSSM Research Awards celebrate landmark, practice-changing accomplishments in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. Traditionally reserved for mid to late-career physicians, Jildeh is one of the youngest recipients of this prestigious award in its history.

Jildeh, who will practice in the MSU Health Care Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center beginning in mid-August, said the study successfully eliminated opioid use in patients following ACL reconstruction surgery, and was just as effective compared to patients who relied on opioid pain medication during recovery.

According to the Dept. of Health and Human Services, the U.S. is facing a national opioid crisis, with more than 130 people a day dying from opioid-related drug overdoses. Many opioid abusers suffer from acute or chronic pain and become addicted after being introduced to a regimen of legal, physician-prescribed medications, as is often the case following surgery for various orthopedic conditions.

“My hope is that we, as orthopedic surgeons, continue to work towards understanding and controlling pain after surgery,” said Jildeh. “As the number of tools to treat pain continues to grow, the historic standard of uniform postoperative narcotic regimens to treat a diverse population of patients is no longer acceptable. I envision a future with personalized pain control plans for patients that reduce narcotic use, improve outcomes, help patients work through physical therapy easier, and ultimately return to sports quicker. While we have our work cut out for us, this non-opioid protocol is a giant step in the right direction.”

To read more about Jildeh, visit healthcare.msu.edu