Is This Pain Normal 5 Months After A TKR

Trayguy
Trayguy Member Posts: 38
edited 22. Mar 2017, 10:50 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi

I had a TKR in Oct 2016 and am still in quite a bit of pain which I thought would have eased by now.

The pain is difficult to explain but I will try. It is mainly up the centre of the back of my knee and almost feels like a nerve pain whenever I take a step. It also hurts in the same place if I bend my ankle a certain way. Very weird and would love to know if anyone else has had this and what might be causing it.

Just gutted because I am in more pain now than before having it done - just in a different place.

I am meant to be having my other knee done in June but not sure this one is up to supporting it for those first few weeks..

Hope someone understands what I am on about and has a bit of advice.

Thanks

Tracey

Comments

  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Tracey,

    I can empathise. Last June I had a revision TKR on my right knee and to date the knee is not happy. It hates stairs, especially walking down them and if I stretch my leg very straight the back of the knee hurts - ouch . I can walk ok with it though. I still do the stairs the normal way but it is painful with every step. As this is the second time this op has been done in 6 years I shall not be having it done again. ;) The left TKR done in 2008 is fine. The right TKR was ok for three years and then started playing up and I suffered a further three years before having a revision.

    So not the same as you but I do not class it as having been a success. I can do all the knee bends etc perfectly but that does not really help me. I do not see the surgeon again. He just told me to exercise the muscles around the knee on an exercise bike which I do and have done for years every day for well over 10 minutes.

    Although this knee op for you is not perfect it does not mean that it will follow that the other knee will not be ok post op.
    It is a chance you will have to take if you have it operated on.

    I believe that if the knee is not good after one year then it will not improve further. I do not hold out that my knee is going to make a miraculous total recovery in three months.

    Elna
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • Trayguy
    Trayguy Member Posts: 38
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Elna

    Thanks for the reply. Sounds like a very similar thing to me.
    It just gets you down after a while because I thought it was an end to my years of constant pain.

    Maybe I will pay a visit to the doctors just in case there is anything they can advise.

    Tracey
  • Helenbothknees
    Helenbothknees Member Posts: 487
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Tracey. I had a bilateral TKR (ie both knees) in July 2012. I don't recognise the type of pain you describe, but I do know that I had quite a bit of pain for quite a long time afterwards. I also found my knees changed and improved for a very long time, maybe years. So don't give up hope just yet. Think about it; the muscles, tendons, ligaments etc have undergone a huge amount of trauma; it's no wonder they're complaining. To be honest 5 months is nothing in terms of long term healing. But I'm far from being an expert; by all means talk to the doctors and see what they say.
  • GraceB
    GraceB Member Posts: 1,595
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Tracey,
    I had a partial knee replacement in 2009 and that took about 12-18 months before everything settled down. I still get some pain from that knee and, of course, a knee replacement is never as good as a natural knee so I can't kneel on it.

    I'm 7 weeks post-op from my left knee having been totally replaced. Still having physio and in the very early stages of my recovery. I've been told that again it could take well over a year before things will get as good as they will ever become. My surgeon also warned me that I could have post-op pain, stiffness and swelling for 6-9 months.

    Everyone is different so I think your suggestion of checking with your GP is probably the best way forward for you. S/he will know if you should see a physio to check how you are doing or if you need any follow-up checks by your consultant.

    Hope things settle soon for you.

    GraceB
    Turn a negative into a positive!