Hypersensitivity Nerves After Knee Replacement

Posted by hoover @hoover, Feb 19, 2019

I am 10 weeks post op after my left knee replacement and only 90 degrees of range of motion. I have been in physical therapy 3 times a week but still major scare tissue of which is limiting my ROM. I have gone through a knee manipulation to break off scare tissue but no luck and need to be scoped to remove such scare tissue. The reason for not moving forward to the scope is that I have major swelling, hypersensitive nerves, fever on the knee and major pitting edema. I have been tested to make sure of no infections going on as well as tested for CRPS or RSD....both coming back negitive. The Doctor refuses to move forward with scope until the current trauma is under control. They looked at using a procedure called "COOLIEF" but do not think that I would able to make it through the procedure due to the needles injected into my knee and my current hypersensitive nerves over the top of my knee. In the mean time they suggested to start a med called Gabapentin to help control the nerves. I have been off work for 10+ weeks and hoping the new meds will kick in the next couple weeks then 4 more weeks of down time for the scope to remove scare tissue and recovery. Just reaching out to see if anyone has experienced such post surgery issues that I am encountering from knee replacement. Thought and suggestions are much appreciative!

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Profile picture for grandmabv @grandmabv

I had TKR in September 2024 & an MUA in November 2024. My knee pain and nerve pain never went away. My extension was -20 and my extension was 85 after a full year of PT 3 times weekly and home exercises that I never missed.

My surgeon didn’t want to do a scope and wanted me to wait 18 months before a revision. The nerve pain was so bad at night that I couldn’t sleep even with 600 mg of Gabapentin at night (total of 1200 daily) and Tramadol.

My GP finally agreed I shouldn’t live like this and referred me to another orthopedic surgeon at a different clinic. They immediately said my original TKR had completely failed and I needed a full revision.

I had my revision on October 15, 2025. Surgery was expected to be 2-2.5 hour, but it took them 5 hours, but it worked!

At my 12 week mark I had full extension and my flexion is 115 degrees. I still have some nerve damage along the outer part of my knee, and because they had to shave off a lot of bone on the femur and tibia I have to wear an insert in my one shoe.

They had to drill further into both the tibia and femur to insert posts and then cement on the other parts of the replacement.

But after 12 weeks I’m doing great and the pain has pretty much subsided. I’m still on Gabapentin due to the nerve damage and it has really helped. I hope it helps with your pain.

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@grandmabv
Who was your first surgeon at Mayo? Now who you went for the full revision? It will help me to find out about what I am still going thru a pain in my knee after 3 years? Thank you.

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