Last time I had my ACL repaired, they gave me Codeine.  Not sure how that stacks up compared to something like a Percocet, but the pain relief didn't seem much better than the OTC stuff.  Only difference seemed to be the overall slugishness, which I didn't like at all.  I bet big pharma is loading its diapers with the attack on their big profit opioid market...LOL...criminals.

Best pain reliever for me is good health, diet, and getting the blood flowing ASAP.