Big knee after 15 weeks

[Weezl]

How long should the knee be swollen and big? When will it look normal? Will it ever look normal? My doctor doesn't use gender specific knees and told me mine comes in all sizes which were available at the time of surgery. My hospital is one of the best, if not the best, for all orthopedic problems in NYC and my implant is made specifically for the Hosp for Special Surgery but I don't have a good feeling about the size. Anyone else with this concern???

 

[JenniferG]

I know the swelling can be an issue for 6-8 months. Does your doc say it looks swollen?

 

[Weezl]

Everyone says it looks swollen but I have this feeling it is still too big even after the swewlling goes down 100%. I rarely ice it and I am very active so I don't do a lot of exercises.....just some range of motion exercises nightly. I'm doing fine with the mechanics I am really worried about the size.

 

[JenniferG]

I usually only ice after PT which I do 2-3 times a week. I do my mechanics type stuff at home and plenty of walking, down the road, shopping around the house. My left knee is swollen and varies based on what I've done to it. They both feel like a size 10 foot in a size 7 shoe from the stiffness. Stiffnness is from the swelling. I think there may be normal swelling internally that I don't see as it heals that contributes to that feeling. But I'm not as far post op as you. You say everyone says, but does the OS say it looks swollen?

 

[Weezl]

My doctor says it's swollen but even though it is, I still feel it's too big. I just wondered if anyone ended up with a big knee. How far from surgery ar you? For me, I tghought I was doing good all along but there was a big difference for me after the 12th week. It really got better and the pain at night subsided so that I rarely need pain meds at all. You sound like you're doing great. Especially for 2 knees. That's incredible.

 

[JenniferG]

I had a friend who made the mistake of seeing a OS who did mostly shoulders. One of her knee prostetics (she was bi-lat also) was too big and had to be replaced by another OS who only did knees and hips (my guy). But she was way past 15 weeks, more like a year and if I remember correctly the bigger indicator of a problem after 1 year for her was pain that did not resolve. Reckon we can always get a 2nd opinion, but maybe your just still swollen. We have a couple of people with 6+ months PO. Maybe they can chime in. I think the swelling is the last thing to go. I'm at 5 weeks PO. It's good to hear you say that 12 weeks is even better. i'm looking forward to that. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Josephine]

Don't fret - it's just swollen. If the prosthesis was too big it wouldn't manifest like that anyway. About 95% of the prostheses are tucked away INSIDE the joint so you wouldn't really be that aware of them. Once in a while a surgeon might err on the side of choosing a size too large but it's measured in millimetres and unlikely to be apparent and definitely not in that way.

 

[NewKnee@44]

I'm 15 weeks and still swollen...and I never had swelling prior to this replacement and I had 6 prior knee surgeries. It's still warm also.

Steph

 

[1jt@atime]

Hi Weezl, Are you more worried about the appearance of the knee, sizewise, or the way the knee is operating? I think it's two different things...... I'm 6 1/2 months post op and my new knee "appears" larger then my god given knee. I measured and the joint is one inch larger around. I do not think I am swollen. I think the dynamics of the knee is just different then my natural one. I really don't care as long as it works and the new knee seems to be working fine. Yes, I have a man knee also but I guess that's okay as long as they don't shoot me with testosterone!

If you have decent flex, movement and a limited amount of pain for this point in the recovery, personally, I wouldn't worry about a knee size difference. I'm happy to be rid of that horrible pain and have a knee that works. Of course, it's a whole different story if you feel excess pain or movement in the joint. I'm afraid I couldn't tell you much about that or even the symptoms.

Soon, I'll have my second tkr. Since I've had a scar that looked like a tkr scar on the 6 1/2 month old knee for 20 years, I'm going to tell the surgeon pre-op to make sure the scars match!!!! If I'm going to have another scar in my collection then I want them to match and be symetrical for once!

Good luck! Karen

 

[Nursepair]

Hi Weezle. My knee is still very swollen at almost 15 weeks. It is very stiff and I can't get enough flex still to be comfy. As long as you have good movement don't worry. It does take some people longer to get that swelling down, up to a year apparently. I think I am a "sweller" as my friend pointed out to me today that when I broke my wrist it was over a year before the swelling came down properly.

Have a look at the thread "Full frontals" there are some photos of our knees there.

 

[Josephine]

Oh, Sue - how could you DO that to him (her!)?