Has anyone had a tight band feeling after total knee replacement?

Posted by mhort1213 @mhort1213, Feb 28, 2019

I am 8 weeks post TKR and have had this very tight band around my knee since week one. My Dr at 6 wks says it is normal and will go away. Has anyone else had this and did it go away and when?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Joint Replacements Support Group.

after two knee surgery, and three years I still have tightness and pain in my left knee. now it is effecting my back, hips especially on right side. the whole leg is very tight. drs dont have any answers, they are only looking X-ray, MRI. Any suggestions are welcome

REPLY
@mkawa

Hello amvrdv102487.
I know that you have had ACL reconstruction, while I had a TKR so this may not apply. After my TKR I had continuing pain that couldn't be traced to anything in my knee. I went to HSS for a consultation and the physician there suggested to my surgeon to "look at her back." The pain was traced to stenosis in my back, which could be relieved by injections for a time. After the injections ceased to be effective, I have now moved on to a spinal cord stimulator. Just a thought - has anyone considered the source of your pain to be in your back?

Jump to this post

Thanks so much for your reply. Yes they have discussed, however, the pain occurred immediately after the ACL surgery and has not abated since. I had no spinal issues prior to that time and the symptoms are such that it seems related to the area of the knee joint/graft site (if I pull or tape the hamstring graft site very tightly, or tie a band above my knee so it compresses that area, I can partially alleviate the symptoms). And it sometimes radiates from the below the knee area to the ACL insertion site and back up to the hamstring graft site and hamstring itself, almost like it’s tugging). I have a physiatrist/neurology appointment next week though and I will have them revisit the spine idea just to be sure. Thanks again for the reply, greatly appreciated!

REPLY

I’m 2 years in and still have that tight bad around the knee. Dr says arthritis and scar tissue. Any way to get over this. No pain just tightness.

REPLY
@scgraham

I will clarify what i meant by "tight band" and it may not be the same as what other posters mean. It feel like a tourniquet is around my leg just below my knee. And the pain extends to the calf area of my leg, feeling like an extremely tight compression feeling. My muscles are soft, not contracted. My knee cap is not involved. I am 19 months post surgery.

Jump to this post

I am 15 months out from surgery and know exactly what you mean. Plus the front of my calf feels numb on top of the awful tightness. Nothing seems to help this very annoying problem.

REPLY

My knee was feeling great months out. I knelt on it!!! So stupid! Tightness is back and the numbness to the left of my scar actually aches. Hoping with time what I did will fix itself. I think we all deal with these issues. But my knee feels better than pre-surgery. But my patience truly runs out! My friend says I should be glad I can bend to a kneel. She can’t bend her knee that far. I guess every person has a different outcome.

REPLY
@jdth

My knee was feeling great months out. I knelt on it!!! So stupid! Tightness is back and the numbness to the left of my scar actually aches. Hoping with time what I did will fix itself. I think we all deal with these issues. But my knee feels better than pre-surgery. But my patience truly runs out! My friend says I should be glad I can bend to a kneel. She can’t bend her knee that far. I guess every person has a different outcome.

Jump to this post

I waited 6 months before kneeling on my knee. Odd feeling because nerve was cut during surgery (normal)
I use a pad to kneeling on. Is tightness in the knee or about it?

REPLY
@thomasb1942

I waited 6 months before kneeling on my knee. Odd feeling because nerve was cut during surgery (normal)
I use a pad to kneeling on. Is tightness in the knee or about it?

Jump to this post

Tightness comes and goes in the middle around.
It was much better yesterday and today. Every day is a new day!

REPLY
@hlevine980

I’m 2 years in and still have that tight bad around the knee. Dr says arthritis and scar tissue. Any way to get over this. No pain just tightness.

Jump to this post

I'm a little over two and a half years and yes, I still have this same thing. They did many tests and I was told to just keep exercising and stretching as it takes some longer. I know it's muscular and I still have arthritis though he said I needed the replacement due to lots of arthritis. Never had this soreness and stiffness before the surgery. It's all muscular now.

REPLY
@healthtalk

after two knee surgery, and three years I still have tightness and pain in my left knee. now it is effecting my back, hips especially on right side. the whole leg is very tight. drs dont have any answers, they are only looking X-ray, MRI. Any suggestions are welcome

Jump to this post

This is totally me after just one knee replacement. No answers either and I don't know where to go from here. I just want things to be like before the surgery. Seems it affects other areas as well.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.