Overnight change in arthritic knee

[edk]

I have been going down the road to a total knee. The knee was functional but always sore and the orthopod said "do your knee whenever you can't stand it any more". So I was working on doing the replacement in the spring. However, when I woke up this weekend suddenly my knee changed drastically. I didn't do anything to injure it that I know but now it appears to
"dislocate" when I bend it and hurts like hell when it pops back when straightened. So I guess the question is is this something that will p*** (like I actually sprained the knee somehow and it will tighten up again) with rest or did the bones get worn away to the point where this is it til I get it replaced.

 

[dids]

edk, you and I are in the same boat. You have days, even weeks when everything is hunky-dory then suddenly - bam! Oh the twingin' screws!!

What's going on is this - as the joint wears away, it's just like a concrete step being worn away - you get loose bits scattered around - doctors call it debris - and sometimes they get in the wrong place. In this case it will be between the weight bearing surfaces of the joint. When this happens it's just like getting a sharp stone in your shoe. Sometimes the stone shifts out of the way and you can walk okay then suddenly it moves under your heel and "Ouch"!! You then find out first hand just how many nerve endings there are in a joint!!

I would suggest that the popping sensation you feel is probably the piece of debris moving in and out of the crucial weight bearing area.

Add to this the fact that bone can actually get bruised and inflamed just like skin or muscles if you spend a while on your feet, standing for instance. Either situation can produce the situation you describe.

You may not need to rush to theatre yet. I suggest you rest your knee when it's in this phase. Ice packs, anti-inflamatories (if you can take them safely) and pain killers and use your crutches while it's acute.

Give it 5-7 days and see if it settles down then decide if you need to get in touch with your surgeon.

In the meantime just rest!!