I research everything as well. Treated for R knee pain with 7 injections over about 2 years when pain management finally told me, since the only injection that helped was the first one, that I needed a TKR. Went to knee surgeon and he did an MRI and said it's not my knee, it's my back!!!! MRI of spine showed severe scoliosis and pinched nerve in 2 places. Years and years of knee pain radiating into shin. Several doctors including NIH. Went to walk in clinic complaining of severe pain right shin, like the bone was replaced with hot metal (the very definition of pinched nerve) and sent home with no diagnosis. That was an exacerbation of the pinched nerve. I had L3-5 laminotomy 2 weeks ago. Knee pain...gone.