Burning after total knee replacement

Hi- I started searching on Google about knee pain and burning after Total Knee Replacement. I am 13 weeks post op and have completed 3 PT sessions every week but have had much stiffness and burning pain increasing over the last 5 weeks. I was supposed to have the other knee done at the 12 week mark but was afraid to do it considering how my left knee was doing. My surgeon agreed I needed more healing even tho financially it would have been fantastic to get it done as we were at the 100% paid by insurance status for any remaining covered expenses for 2024. I am wanting to ask you how you are doing now and if the pain did subside, how long after the surgery did you finally feel better? Thank you.

Yes, joint replacement often surprises us with how many things can hurt and how long full recovery can take. And it is different for each of us - and even between surgeries on the same person.

Can you describe your self-care routine at home? How many times a day are you doing your exercises? How is your range of motion - is it progressing? Do you still elevate your leg and ice when it you are sitting?

Does the location or type of the burning sensation change fron day to day? This is often the feeling of nerves repairing and regenerating and can last for several weeks to a few months.

Hi @jetter - Welcome to Connect! I just had a TKR two weeks ago (thankfully w/o the burning sensation you describe). @connie1559 is right that there's a wealth of knowledge on TKR's in this forum. And @contentandwell is spot-on regarding the fact that every single TKR is different - not just every person but every surgery. I've been fortunate with my recovery, but my right knee was much slower than my left in almost every aspect of recuperation. Can I ask when you had your surgery? Also, aside from the burning sensation, how are you doing with range of motion and strength in your knee - and with pain management? I find that if I can control the pain and inflammation, I don't have as much swelling so I do better at my PT exercises.

When did you have your TKR? Is there a specific area that burns? Do you feel the burning all the time? Have you felt it from the beginning or has the burning feeling developed over a few days? Is your discomfort from the burning relieved by pain meds, if you’re taking pain meds? Is the burning relieved by icing?

For the first 1-1/2 weeks after my recent right TKR, I felt a lot of a burning type pain each time I lowered my leg after having it elevated. I assumed it was a circulation issue. I now experience a burning, tingling feeling in the patella area. It lasts from a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes. It’s bearable but it definitely gets my attention each time it happens.

There are lots of supportive TKR folks here with countless experiences going through the TKR process. I hope someone can answer your question. Good luck!