Pocket of fluid on the right side of knee

[Slim]

Hi everyone, a new guy here,i had a revision to my right knee 8/31/09.Staples removed today,i have a pocket of fluid on the outside of my right knee,about three inches wide and three inches long.I told the nurse about it last Friday and she said its probably fluid.Today she looked at it and called the os.I got to see him Wednesday Its a little red and warm not hot.
Anyone ever experienced this. Thank You.

 

[Josephine]

Hello Slim and welcome to BoneSmart! It could be a haematoma or a collection of blood. It happens occasionally and doesn't often have any particular significance. Knees bleed a lot and once the tourniquet (used during the op) has been removed, there can be small blood vessels that just keep on leaking. It happens. The surgeon may or try to draw off the fluid with a syringe or just leave it alon. It will resolve itself in time.

 

[Texas]

Hi And welcome i had the same thing it was all tested and its was fine it really is go away took awhile but it did.....good luck to you , you have really been thru alot...........

 

[Slim]

Thank You very much Josephine & Texas.
I was getting worried.

 

[Texas]

I dont blame you, seems like you have been thru alot. Im sure this one will work. Post anytime, we have all been thru it one way or the other, these people have helped me more then you could imagine. Always great advice or just someone to talk to at anytime....Good Luck to you................)

 

[Slim]

Thanks again Texas,i have very blessed,i had a partial 8/4/04 it lasted until this year,i had two bone scans performed to find the problem.The op said the bone was cracked and the component was becoming loose.
I had a tkr performed 6/10/05 so far no problems what so ever.
Best of luck to you.Thanks

 

[Jeeper]

My OS told me that the warmness on the knee could last six months as that is a sign it is healing. I did notice redness at first but that went away in the first few weeks. I also had some puffiness or swelling around the patella as it healed. All of this was present following both TKRs.

Good luck on your return to a more normal life.

Jeeper.

 

[Motherofmany]

Hi everyone, a new guy here,i had a revision to my right knee 8/31/09.Staples removed today,i have a pocket of fluid on the outside of my right knee,about three inches wide and three inches long.I told the nurse about it last Friday and she said its probably fluid.Today she looked at it and called the os.I got to see him Wednesday Its a little red and warm not hot.
Anyone ever experienced this. Thank You.

I still have a pocket of fluid on my first RTKR from 3/31/09. OS, PT, MT, all tell me it can take a year to completely go away. The redness is bruising and will disappear usually after you stop taking the blood thinner. Bruising lasts much longer while on those and seem to get much darker before they disappear. My new LTKR that is less than 2 weeks has little swelling. Completely different from other knee.

Hope your heals well and you are able to return to living life to the fullest!

Blessings,

 

[Slim]

Thank you Motherofmany.
Blessings to you

 

[Judles]

Welcome Slim!!! So it looks like heat is a GOOD thing in your case! Always good to have it checked out as its better to be safe than sorry!!! (0)

 

[Jamie]

Hi, Slim! Welcome to BoneSmart. We're so glad you found us. And....I REALLY love your Avatar....what a gorgeous eagle!!!

I had quite a bit of swelling with my knee surgery that lasted for quite a while in recovery. Some of us just create more "juice" than others. Icing, anti-inflammants, and elevating my leg LOTS and LOTS was key to my dealing with it. The good news is that it does resolve itself in time.

Does the pocket of fluid restrict your movement (ROM) in any way? From what you describe, it doesn't seem like it would. You would notice it if you felt any "tightness" as you bent your knee. If it's not impacting your ROM, I think you are doing exactly right to have your OS take a look and, once it is pronounced "no problem," you can just let it resolve itself.

 

[Slim]

Hi Jamie,thanks for the comment on the avatar.
The fluid doesn't restrict my (rom)i do feel the tightness as i walk.I shoudn't complain about it cause i can walk very well without a any kind of assistance.
It just had me concerned.

Thank You

 

[Jamie]

I understand your concern and it's always a good idea to have things checked out that worry you. Peace of mind is VERY important in recovery!!!

 

[Josephine]

Tightness across the knee is common and not at all significant. It's just the general scar tissue, meaning where the layers of tissue were divided during the op, they have a tendency to be a bit stiff after. I still have it sometimes at 6 months. But at 1-2 months it was really strong. But it's nothing to be concerned about. So long as your ROM is okay, don't worry about it. It'll fade in time. That's why, in this period, we are called "patients" because healing takes time so we have to be patient!