ANSWER: Although it’s uncommon, a small percentage of patients continue to have chronic knee pain after knee replacement surgery. Maintaining the swelling also known as edema, to acceptable levels however, can be tough for some patients depending on multiple factors. Swelling and bruising can continue for three months or more following knee replacement surgery. This study, using a questionnaire ... 25% only consider an MUA after 3 months and 15% do not consider an MUA to be necessary at all. The knee and bending part still very stiff at night, especiallly after woke up from my slip and some part of the leg still feel numb?thank you for thr help, cheers. Your knee is exactly the same with all the … By Gillikent March 20, 2017 Améo Total knee replacement 12 Comments on 10 Months of Life with the New Knee – Total Knee Replacement How time flies! You shouldn't expect to walk around on a concrete floor and not hurt. Stiffness after total knee replacement (TKR) is a frustrating complication that has many possible causes. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. It did not move around at all. Many patients are back to their activities without the pain they had before surgery by this stage of recovery. Swelling after the surgery is something every total knee replacement patient will go through. After a few months: Stiffness after sitting down for a while, which might mean using a stick to start walking. I can tell you there is light at what seems to be a long and dark tunnel. Can anything be done at this point, or does the surgery just not eliminate pain in some patients? Abstract. Any increase in pain after knee replacement should raise concerns for infection. Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. Performing daily activities (i.e. Predictive range of motion after total knee replacement. An initial noninvasive treatment option is the manipulation of the knee under anesthesia (MUA). Then after lots of PT (and working on stretching hourly) it took 4 more weeks to get to 100 degrees. Worsening pain in the knee. Increasing pain may be … In order to prevent knee stiffness, we suggest our patients work on knee extension (straightness) and knee flexion (knee bend) several times a day. I did my total knee replacement 3 months ago, until now my outer wound has been heal. Exercise After Knee Replacement Critical ; Bong MR, Di cesare PE. Stiffness after total knee arthroplasty. Many surgeons send these patients to a physical therapist first before considering manipulation or … Swelling and stiffness, 3 years after total knee replacement . Every effort must be taken to determine the cause of the stiffness. After a few months of therapy, it loosened up and began to move around like a normal knee cap. At initial review six weeks after surgery the prosthesis was functioning well and he was asymptomatic. Increasing pain may be … 2004;12(3):164-71. After surgery, my knee cap felt very tight. ; Infection: Infection is a serious and worrisome concern. Background Stiffness of the knee joint is a feared complication after total knee replacement (TKR). Your knee is still healing. 2011 Mar-Apr;36(2):116-20. Posted by bengalady @bengalady, Oct 9, 2019 . Just think of it as a garden hose that's full of water, it just won't bend. Here I am at 10 months post new knee. Knee replacement pain after three months. Joint line position restoration during revision total knee replacement. Knee pain, swelling and stiffness after total knee replacement (TKR) surgery are well-recognised complications. After all, there's a good chance excessive strain on your knee due to overuse or injury (likely thanks to some kind of exercise) caused you to need a knee replacement in the first place. I was only able to get to a 65 degree bend after 3 weeks (and home PT), so my Dr. manipulated it and got to 90 degrees within a few days. An initial noninvasive treatment option is the manipulation of the knee under anesthesia (MUA). Yercan HS, Sugun TS, Bussiere C, et al. I am a 65 year old female who had a total knee replacement 3 weeks and 3 days ago. In the weeks and months after surgery, pain should decrease gradually. 1. Remember, your surgeon had to move muscles, tendons, nerves, ligaments, etc to get to the joint and leg bone to do the replacement. I am incredibly thankful I found your information and will begin the stretching exercises, holding … A 70-year-old male underwent elective total knee replacement for osteoarthritis. I only skinned m6 knee and there was minor swelling under the abrasion. Laskin RS. Walking with a bent knee. From my experience as a PT with keenness on Knee replacement rehab, I can say that I have seen patients complaining about swelling problems for 3-6 months on average. Closed manipulation is most successful within the first 3 months after total knee arthroplasty. 1979;143:115-119. I am at seven months post op from my first TKR. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. However, it varies from patient to patient and depends on the condition you were in before surgery. So if you’ve been experiencing a new kind of pain that won’t go away, months after knee replacement surgery, and you’ve been doing leg extensions, STOP the leg extensions, and then see if the pain suddenly starts disappearing. The answers ranged from two weeks to three months after the initial replacement surgery. The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) say that it can take up to 3 months to return to most activities, and 6 months to a year before your knee is … driving, stair climbing, walking, etc.) 1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in Connect with a U.S. board-certified doctor by text or video anytime, anywhere. Clin Orthop Relat Res . However, in some cases, despite investigation, the cause may be unexplained. Inability to straighten your knee or difficulty contracting your quadriceps muscles may be signs of stiffness and the development of arthrofibrosis. Pain in the knee following the operation can last from six months to as long as one year, but don’t get discouraged. It felt like it had been cemented in place and was stuck in that spot. Walking with a bent knee. And i did a aggressive physio ..but i do still feel very feel at night. The first question addressed was how soon to do something about a stiff knee after knee replacement. My knee replacement has been 2 years and 3 months. Long-term pain, stiffness, and functional disability after total knee arthroplasty with and without an extended ambulatory continuous femoral nerve block: a prospective, 1-year follow-up of a multicenter, randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled trial. Although I wouldn't describe my knee as feeling pain, it was more of a constant 24/7 feeling of swelling, tightness, numbness all jumbled together. During my visits with knee replacement patients whether they had their knee recently replaced or had the surgery several years ago, I will get asked often about their knee making “clicking and clunking noises”. https://www.orthobethesda.com/blog/stiffness-after-knee-replacement-surgery In addition, postoperative swelling is often a major source of pain for patients. Sudden jarring of the foot (produced by jumping say) can cause pain; The joint may squeak during prolonged exercise. The first steps in treating stiffness are mobilizing the patient and instituting physical therapy. I had knee replacement 3 years ago. The swelling that takes place is the body’s way of starting the healing process. I am wondering if that is what you mean by having a tight band on your knee, because it did feel like that. Patients with late-onset knee stiffness (ie, >3 months after TKA and after adequate ROM had been achieved initially) also are less likely to benefit from physical therapy. Stiffness of the knee joint is a feared complication after total knee replacement (TKR). Stiffness after total knee … also helps in maintaining your functional knee … Swelling and stiffness, 3 years after total knee replacement ; bengalady @bengalady. Reg Anesth Pain Med. complication of knee replacement surgery. Stiffness after total knee arthroplasty. Posts: 23 Joined: Oct 09, 2019. I’ve noticed that now, if I’m on my feet for awhile, I get numbness on the outside of my thigh just above that knee. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the midterm result of the MUA for joint stiffness after primary TKR. It's going to take months for your healing to be complete. Results: The prevalence of stiffness was 1.3%, at an average of thirty-two months postoperatively. DEAR MAYO CLINIC: It has been months since I had knee replacement surgery, but my knee is still hurting. You're only 2 months out and expecting a lot. However, there were some patients too, who had a swelling present for one or two years after knee replacement. Inability to straighten your knee or difficulty contracting your quadriceps muscles may be signs of stiffness and the development of arthrofibrosis. 2004;12(3):164-71. Worsening pain in the knee. At 6 months post op total knee replacement, is it normal to still have tightness & swelling of knee and when i press on the leg to have indentations? In the weeks and months after surgery, pain should decrease gradually. My flexion is 115 and the leg lies flat. Once a plateau is reached, further aggressive therapy may contribute only to patient discomfort. At 6 weeks a new knee still rebels against a lot of standing and other activity, plus it sounds as up to you've been exercising that knee quite a bit. Bong MR, Di cesare PE. Second, the results of fifty-six revisions performed because of stiffness, sometimes associated with pain or component loosening, after primary total knee arthroplasty were evaluated. I have the tight band sensation people are talking about. He reattended clinic four months postoperatively having developed worsening pain on the lateral aspect of the knee but without any loss of function or stiffness of the joint. I know the feeling very well as my knees also will make the same noises or sensations that others feel from time to time. My knee became stiff almost immediately after surgery. If these interventions fail, options include manipulation, lysis of adhesions, and revision arthroplasty. I’ve lived with the numbness around my knee, but recently slipped and landed on that knee. Is it normal? Loosening of the implant: This is most often the cause of pain years or decades after the knee replacement; however, it is seldom the cause of persistent pain right after surgery.