Spacer replacement 4 years after TKR

I was just told by my surgeon that same thing. I have terrible pain in my knee with any activity but, worst when getting up from a seated position or trying to do stairs. I am 8 months out from my TKR. He had me wear a knee brace for 4 weeks. It did help. He said that is how he knows the spacer is too thin. As he explained, if the spacer is too thin, it causes the joint tendons and ligaments to be lax. That in turn causes instability in the joint.

I had my first TKR surgery in 2014. The spacer pain issue came about after 6 months and was told by surgeon to wait a year!
Right on a year surgeon resurfaced patella but I’m not sure if a spacer was increased or decreased, but the surface was not smooth hence clicking / catching and pain when walking.

I remember post op surgeon coming to my hospital bed at The Mater Hospital North Sydney Australia and telling me all went well, giving me an overview of the procedure as well as say ‘ measurement length’ all good.

Fast forward a number of years and many many falls resulting in broken arm, ankle, both wrist, sore ribs banged up head…I find that the TKR leg is 8mm ( nearly and inch for Americans lol) longer than my other leg.

Saw surgeon and he said ‘ quite normal’ …, !

I want to type what I really feel and mean, but don’t want to be removed from this wonderful group 🙂

I am so over being in pain all the time, that at times I just give up trying to find any answers.

You may have read my comments on a thicker meniscus, same issue. I too have to reframe from expressing my anger. I believe when we interact with our doctor following a TKR surgery we're in two different worlds; the patient assumes a successful surgery will bring him/her back to normalization with no pain and normal ROM, and the doctor gauges success as he/she puts the parts back together. My negative views come from seven years of a lower quality of life, expenses, having to travel out of state, many doctors (both for surgeries and consultation, three plus years and still in recovery, two years plus in physical therapy, less ROM, and pain, pain, pain.

for swelling, have they checked for nickel allergy. my knee had swelling amd i was buckling and falling down. dr drained it couple of times, but swelling keeps on coming back. blood work showed I was allergic to nickel, so another procedure was done to remoce nickel
all the best

my experience with knee surgeries is very similiar to yours. so frustrated and tired.
wish you all the best.

after three years of surgery, i am in more pain, less range of motion. surgeons are not paying any attention, basically ignore it. any suggestion for dr and what to do is welcome. i live in NJ