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Foot neuropathy (numbness and pain) after total knee replacement (TKR)
I had a right total knee replacement 10 weeks ago and came out of surgery with numbness and intermittent pain on the bottom of my right foot. However, I do have good motor function in that foot. The knee has been healing and with PT, movement is on track, but the foot is a major challenge. The foot pain at times is worse than any from the knee. I have been able to generally manage the foot pain with gabapentin. My surgeon believes this may resolve in time but may take from 6-12 months. However there is a possibility that it will never go away. Has anyone else experienced foot neuropathy following knee replacement? If so, what was your experience with it?
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Where was the surgery done?
Hi @gailannbenson, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. That's great that you are not having any pain after your knee replacement, especially when it's only been a week. Are you doing rehab at home?
Hi @willieblack, I saw from your previous posts that you have had two total knee replacements and stay pretty active. You also use and elliptical and a spin bike. I'm a little over a year out from my TKR but probably not as active as you are. I also use an elliptical and a recumbent exercise bike combo machine. During my initial rehab at home I mostly used the recumbent bike mode of the machine because it was easier on the knee and helped with the flexion. The past few months during COVID-19 I've switched to mostly using it as an elliptical machine to build up more leg strength.
How are your knee replacements doing?
My most recent one from 2016 has been a big concern. A revision is on the way. My knee cap is protruding with a great deal of numbness. My flexion is about 120 for both knees. The elliptical and spin are amazing exercises. I’m still spinning but very limited. My insurance company is in partnership with Mayo Clinic. I’m reaching out for recommendations.
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1 Reaction@willieblack, You may find the following discussion on Connect helpful -- TKR revision surgery and problems: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tkr-revision-surgery-problems/. I had my right knee TKR done at Mayo Clinic Rochester and have been extremely happy with the surgery so far. I don't stress it much at my age (77) but do try to keep moving every day 🙂
May I ask what kind of recommendation you are looking for? Where to have the surgery? Type of knee replacement?
Today marks 3 months since TKR, surgeon said I would be playing golf in three months, yes the knee came along (with much pain) and is good enough to use as normal, BUT he never said anything about nerve damage, bottom of my foot is as numb as it was the night of the operation! Some people say it takes a year to go away? any input? Just hope some day it fades away.
Hi my name is Sandie and I had my right knee done a year ago as of May 21 and I still have the neuropathy in my foot that I had the night I woke up from surgery. I’m sorry for what you’re going through because I’m still going through it. My doctor said it would go away also however it has not been on top of that I developed sciatica the same time I got the neuropathy right after surgery. Still fighting it but I don’t think it’s going to get better after gabapentin, pain meds, ibuprofen,And meloxicam nothings changed.
Hi my name is Mike, wow, a year with no improvement is a long time but I would not give up hope as the nerve is supposed to heal very slow. Spoke to a friend and his took longer then a year but it did go away. I will not go to a doctor as they are the ones that caused it, also don't believe they can do anything (except make more money with false hopes) so why take a chance of them hurting me again or even more. Your body will do what it can to make it right, don't look for a quick fix, (it's not like your knee bones grinding against each other) keep as healthy as you can and it's out of you hands after that.
My knee bones are grinding together however my replacement clicks with every step I take. I have great range of motion but between the Neuropathy the clicking in sciatica it’s a lose lose situation
When I asked my surgeon what could be the downside as I was making my decision for the TKR, he stated, and I quote: always a chance for an infection AND there could be some clicking. So clicking is to be expected (I have very little clicking) BUT the SOB NEVER SAID that I may have a numb foot for the rest of my life, I may have decided to not have it done. There should be no grinding on the knee you had fixed, that is why you got the TKR in the first place. After all this I wonder how people managed before TKR, they did, just wondering how they did it.