mamazipp
graduate
Canada
I am knock kneed. It's called a valgus knee. In my case as the shape of my knee bent inward the erosion of the bone was on the outer side of my femur. Apparently it's close to the peroneal nerve, running along the outer edge of the knee.
The surgeon did a lot of manipulation at that area, removing the degraded bone, plus straightening the bone to be more aligned. This irritated my peroneal nerve. If there is irritation it can cause pain afterwards, making recovery more challenging but the pain eventually gets better. More intense manipulation can injure the nerve and in worst case scenario can cause nerve paralysis leading to foot drop.
It's a rare complication of knee replacement and they have to mention it. I would be surprised at a 50-50 risk, but some risk is possible. Surgeons operate on valgus knees all the time, though, and most patients don't end up with nerve damage. He also told you all of the other risks of surgery, too, so take this as information, not prediction.
My nerve irritation made for a lot of pain but it was treatable. If you need knees replaced and don't get them, you end up with a poor quality of life, pain, and disability. It's a big decision for sure. If you have a good surgeon, whom you trust, he'll be careful to avoid injury.
The surgeon did a lot of manipulation at that area, removing the degraded bone, plus straightening the bone to be more aligned. This irritated my peroneal nerve. If there is irritation it can cause pain afterwards, making recovery more challenging but the pain eventually gets better. More intense manipulation can injure the nerve and in worst case scenario can cause nerve paralysis leading to foot drop.
It's a rare complication of knee replacement and they have to mention it. I would be surprised at a 50-50 risk, but some risk is possible. Surgeons operate on valgus knees all the time, though, and most patients don't end up with nerve damage. He also told you all of the other risks of surgery, too, so take this as information, not prediction.
My nerve irritation made for a lot of pain but it was treatable. If you need knees replaced and don't get them, you end up with a poor quality of life, pain, and disability. It's a big decision for sure. If you have a good surgeon, whom you trust, he'll be careful to avoid injury.
