7 years after total knee replacement

Good evening @40brewster. Your TKR journey has been very surprising. I note that you are in an assisted living facility. May I ask where the 7 doctors came from.....were they all in your assisted living center? Have you also had X-rays or other images? You indicated that you are now in a wheelchair because of a fall. I am very afraid of falling after my two TKRs. But those were 10 years apart.

You also mention that two of the doctors wondered about your back. Have you had back or spine surgery? I am going to stand by my suggestion that you use ice and elevation to relieve your discomfort and any swelling that may have appeared.

Do you have family near you? If so, can they help you have your back at least examined...just in case. I don't know who is in charge at your facility but I would sure think they would be able to help you find out what is happening to your knees. In what state are you located?

Please keep me informed and I will help in any way that is possible.

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

Halo, I just happened to search here for people who have had issues after a total Knee Replacement and I came across this thread. My pains seems to sound like your issue. I had my TKR n Nov of 21’. I did everything right, I had my first month at home w PT then switched to out patient PT. All along i’m complaining of pain behind my knee, on outside n terrible pain goin up my femur.
I did 4 sets of out patient PT which never helped. The therapists always said they had to rub the swelling up my leg but after 30 min. It always came back. 6 months later after still crying out, my Knee Dr did a manipulation plus scar tissue removal cause I still had trouble pulling my leg farther behind me. Well that didn’t help. I’ve used all the creams etc for pain even lidoderm patches and I’d ace wrap it lightly so it’ll help fuse the patch. Ice helped to a point. But it’s a year and half now and still just as painful as first-2nd month is what it feels like. My Dr referred me to pain management to see about nerve blocks, I did 2 sets to see if I was a candidate for having an Ablation. Well that was a flop too. Pain came back after 2 weeks goin up my femur n down my shin, all about a foot in length but pain goes all around the knee too. So nope on Ablation. So my Dr called in another Dr, one that does revised surgery. I happen to mention could I be allergic to whatever is in my knee that’s not agreeable w my body? They asked if I was allergic to anything. Of course for the past 30 years, i tested positive to Lotions including deodorants, Nickel n some adhesive tapes. I usually break out with a rash if I come n contact w those things. I asked the Drs is there nickel n the knee ? They said yes, n sent me next to an allergist. Well I wore those patches for 3 days, after just 1 hr I was hurting n wanting to scratch, they used paper tape which I had red bumps but the only thing that showed positive was lotions. So how did I test positive 30 years ago to Neg. now ? I’m goin back n couple weeks for another follow up. I’m really tired plus my dear Husband from back n forth. My knee has a lotttt of heat inside and out compared to the other knee. Which is getting bad now but it’s my better Knee compared to the TKR one. Throbbing pains. I can almost imagine my knee inside looking like hamburger meat, all torn up. I told the Drs it feels like at the top my knee, picture a bottle cap edges just digging into skin. My knee goes out on me occasionally. Even n the house is take a step n feel like my knee buckles on me. Also if I go to bend down to pick up something, it feels so tight n stiff which I have a lottt of stiffness. I really don’t want it opened up again n have a re-do but I’m feeling that’s what’s coming next. I’m just so tired of high deductibles which I’ve already met ($9200.) and it’s already been a year and half that I’ve met last couple yrs, but w my husband retired now it’s hard to keep up w all payments. I have good insurance (BCBS) it’s just frustrating that nothing is healing n having to repair it again. It was over 50 stitches on that knee n very painful just as it feels now. Burning, stinging n pains goin all over it, the tightness n stiffness. I do have a curious thought though, upon my follow up after the surgery he mentioned something about fixing n cleaning up my knock knee. Which I never knew knock knees before. So it’s clearly diff from my other knee. I’m just wondering if that had anything to do with what’s causing all this pain n heat n stiffness ? He never said anything about doin knock knee adjustment before the surgery. I mentioned earlier to my family about testing the heat in and on my knee, n our daughter said try that temp. gun. Im always asking my family to feel n see the diff of temp. So im curious of what all kinds of treatments you’ve tried and found any relief? It’s not RSD im complaining about. I know what that is n it doesn’t feel nearly like that kind of pain. Any ideas I’d love to hear about. Plus last week I called my Dr office n asked them to ask the Dr about the cement that’s bonded n my knee. So hopefully n next 2-3 weeks I might be pointed to another direction for someone else to test n figure out. So what other ideas is that that’s helpful into figuring this out? The pain goin outside of that knee is painful where I get the feeling that my knee is stressed nearly to cracking. I don’t know if that’s possible but that’s what I’m feeling. Im in a lot of pain 19 months later. Thanks for any Ideas,, Cathy 🙏

I’ve tried the tape. My PT would put it on especially to help on weekends. It didn’t help. It’s been 18 months of my TKR n feels like 1-2 month post op still. I did a month PT at home w therapists coming 3 times a week. I did 4 sets out patient if 3 times a week also. It’s not right. It feels tight to bend over like I’m restricted from bending over to far. It has a lot of heat n pain. Pains goin up the femur n down the shin. All about a foot in length or lil more n extends all around my knee. Not so much on inside my leg. I’ve had 2 sets nerve blocks to see if I’m a candidate for ablation. Nope. Pain came back after 2-3 weeks. I had a manipulation at 6 month post op w scar tissue. That didn’t help. I was only able to bend my knee another 5 degree. So not much difference. I asked about allergy to something n my knee. The Dr asks, if I’m allergic to anything? Duh 🙄 I’ve been allergic was tested 25-30 years ago to nickel n lotions n now adhesive tapes n some paper tapes. I’ve been putting that on my Dr reports last 25+ yrs and he ask that? So I was sent to get another allergy test. Which this time it only tested pos. To lotions. So what happened? Why I’m not allergic to nickel anymore? How’d that happen? I’ve sent a message to my knee Dr asking for him to review the cement that’s holding the gadgets together n my knee. I have a follow up coming up n few weeks. I’m praying he has an idea. It’s painful n pain just jumps at me diff times of day. Can have 20 plus times in just an hour or pain Never goes away. There’s always pain there. I did originally have a sports Dr that was going to do my knee but after 3 diff calls for 3 months that the Dr needs to keep postponing which I found out he had back surgery n didn’t know how long it’ll be before he could get back to me. So I asked if I found someone else to do it, would he still see me at future times. He said yes. He did fix my broken ankle on other leg bout 10 years ago. But I’m just floored about what’s causing all this constant pain. Pain reliever doesn’t touch it. Ice, a lil but comes right back. It’s restricting me to bend over where I feel like my leg bone is gonna crack. Just feels so tight n restricted. I hope you find some help n regain your daily routines. I try n push myself to just walk n do some stairs. I do what I can along with a lot of ouchies. Thanks n Best of luck to you n maybe some ideas here for the next person who is dealing w the same issues.
—Cathy

Cathy, have you inquired about your bursas around your knee? I have had terrible pain at the knee level that radiates up and down the inside portion of my legs,but not as painful as at the knee level. There is a bursa on the inside, outside and above the knee. I have had tkr on both. Yesterday I had cortisone injections in the bursa areas of both knees. It will take about 48 hours before I should get some relief.
It might be worth asking.
I'm sorry you are dealing with a lot of pain.
marilyn

Halo Marilyn. Thanks for your reply. I never heard of a Bursa. I’ll ask my knee Dr when I go back end of the month. I’ll research that. I don’t hurt at the inside area. Only outside along my knee, up my femur like where they have the implant plus down my shin. Bout 18 inches n length. At first I couldn’t feel anything on the outside after nearly a year n half it was kind of numb feeling but weird n felt stressed. After my 2 sets of nerve blocks the outside pain came to life. It’s very painful n after hearing people talk how they’re able to go back to work within few weeks, I knew something was really off. I’ll never have my other knee replaced after all this trouble I’ve had. I can have shooting pains around 50 times within an hr or 2. So something isn’t right. I’ve been trying to research everything to help give the Dr ideas. My knee has a lot of heat in it n feels inflamed often. I know going back n forth to the Dr each month or 2 that he feels bad about it too. I’m just afraid of whatever is going on in my knee doesn’t cause my leg to crack, as that’s how I feel it as it is. It’s very tight n stressed. So if it’s not nickel causing the inflammation gotta be something with the cement. I did find there’s others who’ve had revisions surgeries. I really don’t want that. Ya let me know more on your next update on how it’s doing. Thanks again for your reply. Be Well! —Cathy

Hello Cathy
Yes, I'll let you know if the pain is better after the cortisone injections. It should be better by late tomorrow afternoon.
Yes, my bursas are hot to touch from the inflammation. The bursa on the outside and above the knee are the most common problems.
I have no pain when I arise, but it gets worse and worse throughout the day and evening and also radiates up and down from the knee area.

Oh thanks Marilyn for your response. It’s starting to sound maybe like I’m getting closer to finding out what’s going on w my knee. My knee Dr gave me a cortisone shot last time I was there (3weeks ago) but it didn’t make any difference. Even before the shots before TKR those shot’s never worked for me. I’m gonna call my Dr office n leave a message for him to check into that. I’m sure he’s aware of it. But I’m a difficult person to figure out. Which takes Drs longer to figure things out. I have internal Vibrations from my feet up to my upper waist all around me since mid sept 20’ and no Dr has figured out that one yet. I tell them the vibrations r really angry. Like a phone on silent n ya can feel the vibrations right to the trunk of my body. Bottom of both feet n feels like a motor rumbling n my body. I’ve been shift here n there for that with no ideas. And this September will be 3 yrs. But I really appreciate your ideas about the knee. I read bout some of it online last nite, which my daughter scolds me for looking up Dr Google. Lol. She’s a pharmacy technician. I’ll keep ya updated. Thanks again. Take care. 🙏

I hope Chris can find relief as I find myself in a similar situation. About three weeks ago, I woke up with my left knee (had TKR on it almost two years ago) really hurting. Later that day as I was walking in my yard, I felt a sharp stabbing pain in the back of my left knee, and it caused me to fall down. I could not get in to see my orthopedic doctor till this Monday. Do any of you have any ideas what may have caused this episode? Also, I had a partial knee replacement in my right knee almost 13 years ago. Whenever I walk, I can “feel” both knee replacements. Does this happen to any of you or do your knees after TKR feel just like they did before the procedures?