Any TKR graduates out there with noisy knee?

Posted by ellerbracke @ellerbracke, Apr 14, 2019

I mentioned this in a post several months ago: my new knee clicks pretty audibly with every step I take. It’s a somewhat disconcerting feeling, although there is no pain, and the knee works really well. Last time I brought this up, there was one single person who also admitted to some clicking. When I checked with my favorite PT, who has been in practice locally for at least 10 years that I know of (shoulder surgery 2009!), he told me that close to half the people he deals with after TKR have some noise in their knee joint, some temporarily, many permanent. So am I really the unfortunate exception, and does one EVER get used to it? Can’t sneak up on grandsons any more when playing hide and seek!!!!

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@mabfp3

I had TKR two years ago this coming September. I have to say that the recovery from it was absolutely brutal and I will not go through this surgery again for my other knee (which does need it!). I will continue with the cortisone shots every three months for that knee. Just in the last week or two, I have been noticing a “popping” or “snapping” noise from my surgical knee. It usually happens when I am getting in and out of bed. When it happens, it hurts a little bit and after that, the outer part of my knee feels sore. The soreness does go away after a while. Wondering what could be causing this after two years???? Would appreciate any thoughts on it! Thank you in advance. MaryAnn from MA

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Wrote below. Same issues but I won’t get anymore shots. Had way too many. In pain but I am able to get out of it but not fully. We made a big mistake. Not making another. Ruined my life.

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Noise from the knee post-TKR is very common. I knew this ahead of surgery, and so I spent six months with a trainer before surgery to strengthen the muscles around my leg, primarily quads, and hamstrings.

Post surgery I slowly increased the resistance in these leg exercises. Last year I had both knees replaced and as of today, no noise at all. I'm a 68 y/o male and in the gym 6 days/week. My quads and hamstrings are very strong, and I believe that pulls the patella close to the knee and so, no noise. Most noise probably comes from the patella, the only "moving part" after a TKR.

I'd check with your surgeon and PT about this and see if it could work for you. It does require patience and a lot of work. I'm retired so have plenty of time for the gym.

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I had an excellent first 3 months of recovery with 0-135 ROM and little pain. Then after 3 months I started getting the patellar clicking and pain has gradually increased. So my knee is worse 7 months after surgery compared to 3 months. When I first mentioned this at my 3 month check-up, the doctor blew it off. Now he thinks there might be some scar tissue and sent me back for PT. I've been on the new exercises for a few weeks now and the post exercise pain is bad. So, I'm looking for recommendation for a surgeon who has been successful with patellar scar tissue removal to give me a second opinion. I need someone in The Minneapolis or Rochester area.

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@scobec

I had an excellent first 3 months of recovery with 0-135 ROM and little pain. Then after 3 months I started getting the patellar clicking and pain has gradually increased. So my knee is worse 7 months after surgery compared to 3 months. When I first mentioned this at my 3 month check-up, the doctor blew it off. Now he thinks there might be some scar tissue and sent me back for PT. I've been on the new exercises for a few weeks now and the post exercise pain is bad. So, I'm looking for recommendation for a surgeon who has been successful with patellar scar tissue removal to give me a second opinion. I need someone in The Minneapolis or Rochester area.

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Search concierge. Has all the contact info for Mayo. They may be able to help you.

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@mrnomad

Absolutely, clicking knee, another unpleasant surprise from the biggest mistake of my life. Six months after TKR, the knee started clicking with every bend and so we scheduled (yet another) surgery to remove the scar tissue. The clicking stopped but 3 weeks later it was back so now I am pursuing UltraSound Guided Injections. I'm not an MD, but this is my understanding. Ultrasound allows the doc to visualize the dead portion of the patellar tendon. Using long, painful needles, (photos attached) the doc removes the dead portion of the tendon and waits a month to see if healthy tendon fibers grow back. In two weeks, I will know the answer but I'm not hopeful because oldsters don't grow tendons as well as youngsters. It is my non professional opinion that this problem could have been avoided if the original surgeon didn't cut the tendon, and instead, worked around it just like the Saphenous nerve but that would have taken more time.

While clicking may be mildly annoying & imflammatory, what u r doing every time you bend the knee is chafing the tendon against a fixed surface, your prosthetis. Tendons are composed of strands just like the rudder cables in the airplanes I build. The question is, how many chafes will the tendon suffer before it lets go? Imagine a rudder with no cables attached. That's a bullet I'd just as soon dodge so my 3-4x per week exercise routine bends the left knee (which suffers only from arthritis) much more than the right, "repaired" TKR knee. In essence, I am reducing the number and severity of abrasions inflicted on the clicking tendon which means extended biking, hiking, and squats are impossible until it heals (if ever).

Discuss with your doc.

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Who did your procedure, where are they located and how's your knee?

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I share the same story. My knee was so loud my wife could hear me coming to bed at night. Again, dummyhead me, I went to my ortho who created this problem in the first place, and got snookered into having a revision. Following the surgery he said, "I put in a thicker spacer and you should be O.K. now." I don't have to tell you there's no change. From what I've read about noisy knees, call it clicking or knocking, is common. Jusy another little thing they don't tell you before they mess you up!

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My nose is accompanied by a deep clunking/catching sensation with every step or kick during swim. I am 8 months past surgery and it's been happening from the start. I've been diagnosed with Patellar Clunk but my doc isn't experienced with dealing with it. He's sending me for a MARS MRI next month and surgery after that, if I can't live with it. He will do it thru open arthrotomy as opposed to arthroscopic removal. Anyone else diagnosed with Patellar Clunk that had successful surgical repair?

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