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

Hello @1littleduck, Welcome to Connect, an online community where patients and caregivers share their experiences, find support and exchange information with others. Thank you for sharing your knee replacement experience. Besides walking do you do any stretching or other exercises for your knee and legs?

I also have that tight band feeling. Which exercises are you referring to? I can't find one that stretches it.

Here is some information on the exercises
- 5 Recommended Exercises for Iliotibial Band (ITB) Syndrome: https://www.healthline.com/health/itb-stretches

It's not the IT band. That runs down the outside of your leg from your hip to your knee. My problem is around the back of my knee.

Do you mean the hamstring? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323703

I am 3 months out. As PT told me, I will have great days (yesterday was one) and then not so good. Today is a not so good. I am finding when a cold front is coming, I get the tight feeling which I am pretty sure is swelling. This morning I could hardly bend it. I do beginner yoga, chair yoga and any lower body stretches. If I have to kneel, I do something different. I also bike and that helps.

No, it's not the hamstring. That runs down the back of your leg from your behind. It's like someone put a tourniquet right under your knee cap running from the back to the front. 24/7

I’ve been reading all the comments on tightness and pain post trk. I would like to tell my story if that’s ok and ask for some advise. Had ltkr 20months ago and had nothing but problems. No pain killers or nerve pain tabs work. I’ve had acupuncture lengthy physio. I recently had bone scan and X-rays everything looks ok but I’m in constant pain and cannot walk without a knee support.I have red hot burning pain and it feels like elastic bands pulling. My os referred me to pain management consultant for nerve block because he’s heard there have been some good results. Each time I’ve seen os he’s said give it time takes a year then it was can take 2 yrs. He carnt understand what’s going on but now says I have CRPS. The pain consultant told me the nerve block and ablation is really only used for people to wanting to delay surgery. So off I trot wasted visit. Os has now referred me to another pain management clinic for potentially same treatment. My life has changed considerably for the worse and I’m at my wits end as I’ve heard nerve ablation can make it worse. I don’t know whether to get a second opinion or just accept that I’m one of the unlucky ones. Any input would be greatly appreciated I live in the UK

Your story sounds very similar to mine. Have you tried myofascial release? It works for me for a while, and then the tightness comes back. It is a massage performed by a physical therapist. See if you can google one that is close to you. There are not a lot of them trained in the Dallas Fort Worth area. They stretch the "band" to loosen it up. For me, any relief is better than nothing. As for the red hot burning pain, you may have an infection. (read other comments inside this post) sometimes people are allergic to the metal implant or the cement used in the operation. I would definitely research that. Do you think you may have arthrofibrosis? Google those symptoms and see if that applies. There is a Facebook group for that. Try another OS for a second opinion. But see if you have an infection ASAP. Keep us posted.

Hi John, Thank you for the welcome. To be honest I cannot do very much with the leg at all. 45 years ago I received lower leg surgery twice due to a car accident and a failed 1st attempt, and then the hospital damaged my ankle bones so I have very little movement in my foot, over the years, this has resulted in only being able to walk with my foot off centre to the left. My knee pain was not addressed for 10 years, which when they finally decided to x-ray my knee it was too late and a FKR was my only option. My knee had not been bent for at last 5 years prior to the surgery so with the complications of my ankle being almost frozen, exercise is very difficult. Walking is not easy as I also have problems now with my right hip. I can bend my knee to a sitting position but that's about it. Saying that, I have found that when its humid or warm the tightness in the knee can be unbearable and in the winter, the knee just aches. My surgeon does not understand why but says many of his patients tell him the same story. They tell me I need my ankle fused but don't want to do it as the screws are still in my lower leg after 45 years and it would now be a very complicated surgery. My knee is permanently swollen and I have some nerve damage on the left outer side. I guess its just something we learn to live with.