Incidence of Alcohol Use Disorder and Management in Orthopaedic Patients: A Retrospective Analysis.

Cohort studyJournal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews· Aug 2026

Incidence of Alcohol Use Disorder and Management in Orthopaedic Patients: A Retrospective Analysis.

Travis Jebackumar, Justin Jebackumar, Bryce F Rizvanović … Kylee Rucinski

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Substance & AddictionCohort studyClinical practiceQ2IF 1.7

Only 11% of flagged orthopaedic patients had alcohol use discussed with their team.

Incidence of Alcohol Use Disorder and Management in Orthopaedic Patients: A Retrospective Analysis.

Travis Jebackumar … Kylee Rucinski

Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · Aug 2026 · Q2 in General Medicine

Background

Alcohol use disorder (alcohol use disorder) is a prevalent, relapsing condition.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine the incidence of alcohol use and potential misuse among orthopaedic patients and assessed whether patients flagged for risk engaged in documented discussions about alcohol use with their care teams.

Methods

Meeting thresholds for possible misuse were flagged.

n = 99,269 patients

Results

Just 80 of 718 patients flagged for misuse had a documented alcohol discussion.

Screened positive (AUD

29.2%

Documented discussion

11.1%

More results

Among 99,269 patients screened, 67.9% reported some alcohol use, and 2.5% reported a personal history of alcohol use disorder.

“

Conclusion · 1 of 2

Alcohol use and misuse are common among orthopaedic patients, yet systematic screening and discussion are infrequent.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Integrating validated screeners such as Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption into routine intake and supporting clinicians with training and referral pathways represent critical opportunities to improve patient safety and orthopaedic outcomes.

Incidence of Alcohol Use Disorder and Management in Orthopaedic Patients: A Retrospective Analysis.

Incidence of Alcohol Use Disorder and Management in Orthopaedic Patients: A Retrospective Analysis.

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