Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Feb 21;10(2).
doi: 10.2106/JBJS.RVW.21.00184.

Marijuana in Orthopaedics: Effects on Bone Health, Wound-Healing, Surgical Complications, and Pain Management

Affiliations

Marijuana in Orthopaedics: Effects on Bone Health, Wound-Healing, Surgical Complications, and Pain Management

David M Heath et al. JBJS Rev. .

Abstract

»: Marijuana use is on the rise in the United States, and there is a paucity of information on the effects of cannabis and its chemical constituents on bone health, wound-healing, surgical complications, and pain management.

»: Current evidence suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) may enhance bone health and metabolism, while Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the major psychoactive component in marijuana, has an inhibitory effect.

»: Marijuana users are at higher risk for delayed bone-healing, demonstrate lower bone mineral density, are at increased risk for fracture, and may experience postoperative complications such as increased opioid use and hyperemesis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSREV/A810).

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Marijuana National Institute of Health. 2020. Accessed 2022 Jan 6. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/marijuana
    1. Substance Abuse Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. SAMHSA. 2020. Accessed 2022 Jan 6. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/cbhsq-reports/NSDUHDetai...
    1. Chhatre S, Cook R, Mallik E, Jayadevappa R. Trends in substance use admissions among older adults. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017 Aug 22;17(1):584.
    1. Idris AI, van ’t Hof RJ, Greig IR, Ridge SA, Baker D, Ross RA, Ralston SH. Regulation of bone mass, bone loss and osteoclast activity by cannabinoid receptors. Nat Med. 2005 Jul;11(7):774-9.
    1. Sophocleous A, Robertson R, Ferreira NB, McKenzie J, Fraser WD, Ralston SH. Heavy cannabis use is associated with low bone mineral density and an increased risk of fractures. Am J Med. 2017 Feb;130(2):214-21.

LinkOut - more resources