TKR then no TKR - exactly the same symptoms ?

blueknees

I had a new knee in June last year because at the time I was having really bad pains and aches and the x-rays showed enough wear and tear to warrant the new knee.

While I was seeing the consultant over three years or so both knees were x-rayed and the other knee was also showing wear and tear but not quite as bad.

I am still recovering from my new knee and was really sore and only feeling the post op pans for the first 6 months or so but now as those pains decrease the other knee is feeling as bad as the first was before the op.

I had an x-ray last week and it only showed slight wear and tear (OA) so has it improved or were the original x-rays incorrect?

stickywicket

We can't interpret x-rays, blueknees, but pain is an odd thing and all sorts of things go into its making. It's quite possible that it's hurting more, especially if you are now walking more, although no further damage has been done. Pain doesn't always relate to x-rays.

Terminology is also imprecise. If, on the original x-ray, it was deemed merely 'not quite as bad' as the one they replaced, I guess 'slight wear and tear' might cover that. Did you ask the consultant?

chookgate

It's difficult to say, it is likely that your new knee has made you more mobile and that has meant you are using the other knee more. It's also likely pressure was put on the "old" knee whilst you were recovering from the surgery on the new knee. X-rays don't always show the full picture. I have had both knees TKR'd, but the x-rays before surgery showed that the right knee was a lot worse than the left, so that was replaced. To me the left knee was getting worse and worse afterwards, but the x-rays didn't show any difference. The doc did agree though that a TKR was necessary for the second knee too, and when he did the surgery he said "it was much worse than the first one, the surgery took half an hour longer whilst I had to trim off all the extra bone growths that hadn't shown on the x-ray".

So bottom line, in my opinion (not a medical one), don't worry too much about the x-ray, judge by how the knee feels to you, can you live with the pain? do you have enough function? can you walk unaided? etc. If the answer to all the questions is "no", nag for another TKR!

blueknees

I saw the pediatrist yesterday, previously he told me I had one leg longer than the other, yesterday they were both the same length.

Possibly because I can now fully straighten the new knee leg.

I must be getting better.