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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?

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jnoronha | @jnoronha | Jul 16, 2020

Same with me too. I had heard so many good stories from friends that did TKR that they were successful and encouraged me to have the surgery. But my case turned out to be different. I was very active too and now I am so much limited in my activities and have to depend on help.

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suzanne2 | @suzanne2 | Jul 16, 2020

I totally understand! I had a TLH replacement and it was wonderful. The following year I had a TRH replacement and have been in worse pain than before I had it done. So many regrets. Same surgeon! He tore a ligament and can't be repaired. Been to PT, exercises, so many injections that were guided. Just had one done last week at Mayo. Praying it gives me some pain relief for some amount of time. I can barely walk on it at times. Been told it is not repairable through surgery.

I am a preschool teacher and sometimes when I walk I find myself saying 'ouch!' Of course this upsets the little ones to hear their teacher in pain. I am trying to correct myself and not say anything out loud.

So, anyone who is having issues with a replacement I can totally identify with you. It is so frustrating to go from one way of life to another because of a mistake.

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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Jul 30, 2020

I've had this for five years. The more I walk to worse it gets. Not a sharp pain but like a belt is around my knee. The more I walk or exercise the more the ban feeling gets worse. I've had injects thinks it was hyper nerves. Nothing has worked. I've fallen ten times as I start to lift my leg and unconsciously my mind tells me its hurts so I don't lift my leg high enough then I trip. Been very luckie on falls.

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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Jul 30, 2020
In reply to @contentandwell "@mhort1213 I have had 2 TKRs but I do not recall a feeling like a tight..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@mhort1213 I have had 2 TKRs but I do not recall a feeling like a tight band. What I have learned though is we all just tend to have different post-op problems and discomforts. You have obviously spoken to your doctor about this and he/she does not seem concerned. If you have confidence in him then you have to believe that he is experienced in this and that’s why he’s not concerned. Did he/she indicate how long before that would improve? I hope it will improve very soon.
JK

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Your doctor like mine feels his job is done if you leg moves correct. A PA at my doctors handles problem knees. Over 20% of tkr have problems. My wife had both knees done and shes done great. The tight band feeling I've had for five years. Had so many injections I feel like a pin cusion.

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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Jul 30, 2020
In reply to @scgraham "I am 19 months post TKR surgery. The surgery went well. I have great ROM. But,..." + (show)
@scgraham

I am 19 months post TKR surgery. The surgery went well. I have great ROM. But, from the beginning I have had a tight band feeling just under my knee, and a compressed feeling in my calf muscle. Feels like I have on the tightest knee sock imaginable with a tourniquet for a top band. I was prescribed gabapentin, didn’t help. I went through PT 3x trying different things to treat this, including astym and dry needling. I still have bruised areas on my leg and it’s been 7 months since the last session. My surgeon and PT have not been able to explain the what or why of this phenomenon. But was told at my one year appointment that there was a good chance I would just have to live with this. It takes a great deal of mental energy to rise above this pain to have a productive day. I am a 65 yr old female. Anyone else out there have any information or tips for dealing with this?

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cushion. This fir five years. Had a lot of injections with no relief. This has caused me to fall 10 times . The more I exercise the tighter the feeling gets till I just limp around.
Your surgeon won't help as if your leg moves correct his job is done. 20% of tkr have problems. Go to a specialist that works with problem surgery.

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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Jul 30, 2020
In reply to @ssbionicknee "Hi @mhort1213. I want to clarify what you mean by tight band. I had my TKR..." + (show)
@ssbionicknee

Hi @mhort1213. I want to clarify what you mean by tight band. I had my TKR (right Knee) in May 2018, so I am 10 months out. Before surgery, my knee was extremely loose, moving all over the place, locking up, and causing me to fall. After surgery, my knee cap felt very tight. It did not move around at all. It felt like it had been cemented in place and was stuck in that spot. After a few months of therapy, it loosened up and began to move around like a normal knee cap. I am wondering if that is what you mean by having a tight band on your knee, because it did feel like that. In my case, I had fallen so much because of having 2 bad knees, that I felt safer when it was really tight. I became afraid of falling after it loosened up. My PT and surgeon, reassured me that it was normal and that my knee cap would hold steady and it has. I think what you are describing is normal. You have brand new hardware in your knee and it will loosen up. And then that will feel strange. But it will be much more stable. Good luck to you!

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I've had it for five years and fallen 10 times. I bought a knee brace at Walgreens and use it when the tightness is bad. Sure makes a difference. Surgeons dont care as if your leg works their job is done! Started to go to specialist that work on problem replacements.

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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Jul 30, 2020

Its lasted five years and have fallen down ten times.the surgeons job is done if your leg works. 20% of tkr have problems. Find a specialist that works with problem knee replacements. I use a leg brace I got at Walgreens when it gets bad. Then the knee feels great!

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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Jul 30, 2020
In reply to @cobweb "I also have that problem and it has lasted 6 years" + (show)
@cobweb

I also have that problem and it has lasted 6 years

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Mine has been five years. Only relief is a knee brace when it gets to bad.

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lhruza | @lhruza | Jul 30, 2020

I am 7 months post TKR. The tight band feeling has finally went away for the most part. I still get a “tight” feeling on my knee every now again though. Especially in the morning

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1 reply
stp258 | @stp258 | Aug 16, 2020
In reply to @doodles418 "I wish I would have been in on this discussion group before my bilateral TKR. The..." + (show)
@doodles418

I wish I would have been in on this discussion group before my bilateral TKR. The information and recoveries shared here might have made me wait longer and do more research before I had surgery.

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Ditto. I a sorry that I didn’t know all this and really feel I get no straight answer from the doctor. It’s a wait and see approach ....and I suffer from anxiety

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