TKR Pain in knee 1.5 years post op

PennyCavalier

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I had a successful TKA 1.5 years ago, no pain after 6 months. At 9 months I started having some mild pain. The surgeon did an X-ray ( looks good) and an ultrasound. He said I have a bakers cyst which I had pre op and he removed but came back. Now I have a lot of pain in my knee. It’s very tight and painful when I bend it and radiates down my leg into my foot.
I spoke to him by phone and he said it’s coming from my back since it radiates down my leg. Granted, I’ve been bending down a lot since a just got a puppy. I cannot believe this is a back issue.
 
:welome: to BoneSmart.

Maybe it's the cyst come back, maybe it's a back strain from bending. More checks needed, perhaps.
 
Hello @PennyCavalier - and :welome:

Please will you tell us the full date of your knee replacement and which knee it is, so we can make a signature for you? Knowing the exact date will help us to advise you appropriately.
Thank you.:flwrysmile:

When you have a joint replacement, all your other joints have to adjust to your new posture and gait, so it is possible that the pain is coming from your spine. Since you've recently been bending more than usual, your back could be irritated.

You might have sciatica or it could be this:
Piriformis syndrome - a pain in the butt!

Another cause to consider could be peripheral neuritis of the peroneal nerve, which is a branch of the sciatic nerve running close to the surface in your knee area. The peroneal nerve can be affected by swelling, so that's something to consider as well.
 
The only advice I can offer is if it isn't normal, see your surgeon.

If the x-ray and ultrasound came back as a-ok in so far as the joint is concerned, more than likely you have irritated something else.

Congrats on the new puppy and I hope your doctor gets you sorted quickly =)
 
I've been having severe pain in my knee for the last few months.I was just told the spacer is too small and I could have revision surgery to replace it. I had my original surgery a year and a half ago. Pain began last Oct and I had an X-ray at that time. I was told the joint was stable. When I called the surgeon this time he told me it was coming from my spine and I needed to have a spine evaluation before he'd see me. I saw a new surgeon who said it was the spacer. I'm wondering if I should go back to the first doc again.
 
Hello @
You'll notice that I have merged your two threads together as it's best if members in recovery only have one thread. We find it much easier for everyone.
This is because:
  • That way, you have all your information in one place. This makes it easier for others to go back and review your history before providing advice.
  • If you start new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
  • Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. We won't miss your new question as, between us, the staff read all new posts each day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, tag a member of staff.
Tagging other members and answering tags

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts?

A helpful hint - Many members have found it useful to bookmark their thread so they don't lose it.
 
@PennyCavalier, I would stay with the new doctor. Your old one already had the chance to fix your knee and he has been unsuccessful.

I noticed that no one left you your own recovery articles, so I will. Each person is different as is their recovery. Most find that the Bonesmart approach works best for them, but others find that a more aggressive therapy helps them more. It's your recovery and your choice on how you recover. As you read more on other members' recovery threads, you’ll get a better perspective of what to expect. The following are our basic guidelines and should help get you started.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax and let it. Don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now; they are almost certainly only temporary.
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when the pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT...
a. If it hurts, don't do it, and don't allow anyone to hurt you.
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again for a few weeks.
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for TKRs


The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

Try out our great new opportunity to improve your gait. It's OneStep. It's free and you will find it to be a huge help to you. Click here: OneStep
 
Kildare here; my PT found the following article on line it is very scientific but explains a lot when there has been trauma to the knee:
TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY: MUSCLE IMPAIRMENTS, FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDED REHABILITATION APPROACHES
A study done by many doctors. Hope this is useful information.
 

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