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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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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Sep 18, 2020
In reply to @mhort1213 "I'm 16 weeks post tkr and still have tight band which I think might be from..." + (show)
@mhort1213

I'm 16 weeks post tkr and still have tight band which I think might be from fluid around the knee which doesn't seem to go away. My Dr. Is hopeful it will go away in time. I hope he's right.

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I've had mine for five years and it's so frustrating as it stops me from doing so many things! Its starts on one side then travels under the knee to the other side. I had to quit walking as the more I walked the tighter and severe the pain got. I ware a brace on it sometimes to to make it feel secure. Good luck with yours

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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Sep 18, 2020
In reply to @debbie64131 "I totally agree! There’s a lot of things that I was not told beforehand. I have..." + (show)
@debbie64131

I totally agree! There’s a lot of things that I was not told beforehand. I have not had a day without pain since my surgery! I’m almost 4 months post op. There’s days I can barely walk because of the tight bands. I’m still in PT. I’m tired of taking pain pills!!

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Mine has lasted over 5 years! The more I walked the worse it felt! I had all kinds of injections and nothing worked. It's just so depressing. I've had to quit so many things its depressing. My wife had both her knees done my the same surgeon and she don't feel any problems. Good luck with yours.

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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Sep 18, 2020
In reply to @grammygolfs "I am 3 1/2 years post Left TKA; 2 1/2 years post right TKA. Both are..." + (show)
@grammygolfs

I am 3 1/2 years post Left TKA; 2 1/2 years post right TKA. Both are still giving me problems. I had a terrible rehab with my first one. Pain, tight band, took a long time to flex to 100 degrees...with 2 PT's pushing, me pulling and me crying. Used a can for 4 months. The right one rehabbed much better, but I have a burning pain in both...from a couple inches below the knees to an inch or so above the knees. I fear it's neuropathy. I can walk distances much better than stand still or minimal walking, like working in my kitchen. It became worse last fall, so well over 1 and 2 years post op. Some days I feel like I'll be in a wheelchair before long; other days slightly better but I've never been without discomfort. I got a 2nd opinion while in Arizona this past winter; both he and my PA here at home say I likely drew the short straw of the 20% whose knees don't like them. Both said if the burning continues to consider seeing a neurologist, which I plan to do soon. I also have pain in the side of the knee if I sit certain positions. Driving with foot on the gas pedal is very uncomfortable when I can't use cruise control. I really didn't have the option of not doing the surgeries....arthritis doesn't get better and I was bone-on-bone and resorting to a cane.

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Sounds like my knee. My operation is over 5 years and it bothers me like day one. The more I exercise the tighter it gets. Quit doing alot of things. Seeing the Surgeon Monday and talk about it. Then we talk about my other knee for surgery. Good luck.

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sweede536 | @sweede536 | Sep 18, 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 is 5 1/2 years. Have had many different injections with no results.
Will see my surgeon Monday and discuss what to do next and talk about my other knee which is coming up.

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ruthannejoan | @ruthannejoan | Sep 18, 2020
In reply to @janedahlgren "That's exactly what it is" + (show)
@janedahlgren

That's exactly what it is

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I do not have foot drop though

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clbs | @clbs | Sep 18, 2020
In reply to @ruthannejoan "Sounds exactly like me. No answers from surgeon or PT either After giving consideration to all..." + (show)
@ruthannejoan

Sounds exactly like me.
No answers from surgeon or PT either
After giving consideration to all aspects of the surgery, I am inclined to think there is a relationship with the tourniquet application and this tight band business.
Immediately after the pressure dressing was removed, I noticed immense pain in my thigh to crotch also the blackest blue in that area all the way down to the ankle. There was a very hard nonpliable feel in the quadricep to the top of the incision. Needless to say swelling also.
Sciatic nerve raged with pain from hip to ankle for 2 weeks then subsided to a semi tolerable level. After the PT course, and the sciatic pain dissisipated, to intermittent bouts but there was a hard-wedge feeling at the upper part of the tibia which about drove me insane. This did leave eventually.
If the tourniquet did trauma to the sciatic nerve, this may explain the band tightness feeling. The sciatic nerve bifercates into the peroneal nerve along the anterior tibialis
And that may be the readson for this band feeling. NERVE TRAUMA
Anyone else have tourniquet residual trauma with this band of tightness we try to describe to our medical specialists?

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I’m pretty sure my surgeon did not use a tourniquet but I still have that tight band feeling. My surgery was 19 months ago.

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2 replies
may2383 | @may2383 | Sep 19, 2020

Yes, I had the same experience with the tightness right below the knee cap. It did go away around 12 weeks, I believe. It does go away.

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ruthannejoan | @ruthannejoan | Sep 19, 2020
In reply to @clbs "I’m pretty sure my surgeon did not use a tourniquet but I still have that tight..." + (show)
@clbs

I’m pretty sure my surgeon did not use a tourniquet but I still have that tight band feeling. My surgery was 19 months ago.

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Did your sciatic nerve hurt terribly for 2 months ir sio

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1 reply
ruthannejoan | @ruthannejoan | Sep 19, 2020
In reply to @ruthannejoan "Did your sciatic nerve hurt terribly for 2 months ir sio" + (show)
@ruthannejoan

Did your sciatic nerve hurt terribly for 2 months ir sio

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My surgery was 8 months ago

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janedahlgren | @janedahlgren | Sep 19, 2020
In reply to @clbs "I’m pretty sure my surgeon did not use a tourniquet but I still have that tight..." + (show)
@clbs

I’m pretty sure my surgeon did not use a tourniquet but I still have that tight band feeling. My surgery was 19 months ago.

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I dont think knee replacement surgery can be done without the use of a tourniquet to temporarily prevent the flow of blood into the joint. Google tourniquet for knee replacement.

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