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Where is the pain in my new knee replacement coming from?

Hi-A little over one yr ago I had my right knee replaced. I hadn't been able to bend my knee for about 4 yrs before the surgery -  I have osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and degenerative bone disease -  so the dr and I decided on a knee replacement. I can bend my knee now, and  I've had the knee xrayed since the surgery and it looks ok. I ride a stationary bike every day for excercise. What I don't understand is why I am having SO much pain in my knee?? It's really very depressing! After I sit for awhile and try to get up, the pain in my knee is just excrutiating? Does anyone know why I am having so much pain?
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Avatar universal
I HAD THREE KNEE REPLACEMENTS ON THE SAME KNEE THE FIRST DOCTOR DID IT TWICE THEN WENT TO ANOTHER DOCTOR HE REPLACED MY KNEE WENT HE OPEN MY KNEE THE REPLACEMENT FELL OUT THAT WAS BETWEEN 07- 09   MY KNEE HURT AT TIMES GETS NUMB   IS SORE AT TIMES CAN NOT WALK VERY FOR OR IT HURTS CAN NOT HARDY WALK SHOULD I GO BACK AGAIN
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Hi
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I
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I had one knee done last august and the other one 4months later.It has been a year now and i am still in pain.When i try to stand up the pain ia AWFUL! There is something floating around in my knee.I saw the doctor in june and was told do not worry .i can't take the pain any more. Very depressing.
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Hi just reading your story there very interesting just wondered how ur getting on  now and what was the outcome having similar problems myself
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I have been reading these comments, and wanted to add mine in should it help anyone, I too had a tkr 2 yrs ago, before my surgery i had been unable to successfully bend my left knee for years, couldn't squat, walked with a limp since after arthroscopic was done for meniscus tear lodged in joint. So after finding i was bone on bone and knew how much arthritis was found during prcedure, decided to go ahead with tkr, I have had many other surgeries in my life and this one was horrrrribbbbleee, doc said after that there was much more damage to hamstring than had been anticipated. spends 7 days in hospital, most of which i was crazy sick, sweaty, etc. they were only able to get me up and out of bed to do pt once in that time.,As i was still oozing though my bandages every day.needed 3 transfusion in order to leave for rehab,  okay so I expected pain and lots of pain, and man it hurt, but i worked through it did all that i was expected to to and then some, for the next 6 months there was lots of pain but it did subside, i finally got to the point of feeling good about it, i could stand pretty well, even squat better than i had in about 10 years, well about 8-9 months ago, i'd noticed when i was on it for longer periods like shopping it would really pain me, and i came home feeling like my knee was the size of a football and almost unable to bend my knee,went to see dr.last month, they took xrays and did not show them to me as they always do, and after poking and proding, sent me to have labs and bone scan, i had the scan during which the tech asked me if I fell. i am due to return to him tomorrow and hear my results, and in all the years and surgeries, this is the most nervous i have ever been, The tech would only tell me i had a lot of arthritis in my 'other" knee and said he could not comment on tkr knee, i am usally a go with the flow kind of person, but this has me worried, expecially with what i went through the first time and I heard re-fixes are worse. Any suggestions? should i be worried?
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Hi was your revision done by the same Dr who did original? wondering whether you could get a revision done by a different Dr ? And does Insurance pay for revision surgery?    Thanks Feel Better!!!
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I am 85 : TKR 6 months ago: I was given to understand that full benefit may not be felt for 12 or even 18 months ; so I prepared to put up with the stiffness and pain in the morning or after sitting for a long period. However I have a new problem in that I cannot walk in a straight line but veer all over the place like a drunk, Can anyone explain this phenomenon : my other knee is long overdue for TKR. Can this be the problem  .?
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I had total knee replacement in June 2011.  I have went through numerous physical therapy.  My left knee is still stiff, swollen and hurts.  I hurt from my knee up through my behind into my lower back.  I cann't walk over five minutes.  Buying grocery is almost impossible; I'm in so much pain afterwards it not worth the effort.  Cleaning house is a joke, I clean for about five mintues then sit down for thirty because of the pain.  I don't know what to do?  I a school teacher and it is hard working with students when your are in so much pain.

sweetthing474
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Avatar universal
This has been so helpful!  I had 2 arthroscopic surgeries on my right knee, and after the 2nd one the surgeon said that there wasn't anything more he could do and that I would need to get it replaced.  I asked him when, and he said when I couldn't take the pain anymore or it stopped working.  For 2 years I was in pain, they kept giving me synvisc injections which worked in the beginning and then were just a waste of time.  I was popping vicadin like candy but it didn't seem to help.  And I have a very high threshold for pain.  They did not want to replace my knee until I turned 50.  Shortly before my 50th birthday I scheduled the surgery.  Afterward the surgeon told me that I had given him a surprise and I asked him what that was.  He said that in all of his years of doing knee replacement surgery he had rarely seen the amount of arthritis he found in my knee, and had never seen that amount in a knee as young as mine.  He said he had no explanation of why the arthritis did not show up on the x-rays.  Eight months later he replaced the left knee.  It has now been 3 and 2 years and I am experiencing pain.  I must say the more I use my knees to walk and swim, the happier they are, but getting up from a seated position causes me pain, the pain in my legs wakes me up at times during the night.  Hearing that other people have post TKR pain is helpful and I've just made an appointment to go in and see the doctor.  But I am going to strongly remind him that my arthritis doesn't show up on x-rays!!!  Thanks for your comments.
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Avatar universal
Hey everyone,
I have followed many of the posts here before, during and after my TKR. I have had 3 surgeries (the last being TKR) and 3 manipulations on my right knee in the last 3 years and more PT appointments than I can remember. After 9 months since TKR, I am worse than I was before the surgeries. I am EXTREMELY disappointed in the results. I have minimal bend, lots of scar tissue. I can't stand more than 10 minutes, sitting longer than 10 minutes makes it painful to get up and move. Walking more that one block is guaranteed swelling and pain. Walking all day or up in an evening meeting shoots the next day (I'm a middle school teacher.) My concern is the constant pain, fiery knife-like pain, shooting pain around my kneecap and then down my shin. Eventually the back of my knee and thigh muscles begin to protest. I feel 100 years old but only 53. My whole life has changed for the worse and I feel handicapped, I can't walk properly without pain.
I have a staple left from the second surgery on the inside of my right knee, that is scheduled to come out Nov. 21. The ortho dr. (same throughout even though I tried to change doctors and have filed 2 complaints against him) throw up his hands and says it's in my head. NOT!!! I am back on percocet for night after being off for 2 months.
It's getting worse and I feel as though no one is listening. I can't afford a 2nd opinion out of my medical plan and this one K****r doesn't readily allow changes. I feel like I'm going crazy. What should I do?
TLC
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1844210 tn?1318859391
Can you give me an update to your condition?  I had bi tkr in July of 2010.  If I sit in a chair with both legs out in front of me-unmoving- I would say that my right knee is not healing correctly.  If I touch it, it does not feel right.  It is all pins and needles, there is still some swelling and seems to be a bit lumpy.  HOWEVER, moving them is another story.  My right is stiff and a bit painful but my left is like a horror story.  Every movement brings a series of crunches and grinding.  I went to the surgeon after 8 months of therapy and told him they were not healing at the same rate and he told me that it was normal.  I went to my surgeon last friday and he is saying now that there appears to be cement floating around in there and he wants to go back in.... How is your coming along?  and does anyone have this problem?  I need my knees for a while yet for work....
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Avatar universal
I had Double Knee Replacement in January 2011 and did fairly well for the first 2 months but then started having pain in my left knee for reasons unknown. I do stretching exercises everyday, like I had in therapy and it still hurts alot when I do them, 6 months after surgery. I can't sit for very long because both knees become stiff and painful. I am in much better shape than before the surgery but kind of disappointed in my progress. I thought I would be pain free at this point and off the pain meds, but to my suprize I still have pain. I haven't called my Doctor because i don't know if this is normal or not, and I don't want another surgery on my knees. Well, I guess I'm better than I was so i shouldn't complain, but my high hopes of no pain have disappeared. Melodie
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Avatar universal
I had my right knee totally replced 5 years ago.  Because of the pain that never went away I had a revision of the same knee 3 years ago along with my left knee replaced.  The right knee seemed to be coming along fine until my doctor wanted me to get my left knee manipulated for more flexibility which I agreed to and at the last minute suggested that as long as you're here why not do both.  Big mistake.  My right knee has never  been right.  The pain is so bad I cannot do anything.  The left leg is wonderful.  The doctor went back in a year later and found a bone spur.  Now two years later I cannot stand or walk without the worst pain of my life and the includes labor.  I have done extensive PT and everyone is throwing up their hands.  Is it possible to get cortizone injections?
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Avatar universal

Hi all!
   In October 2010 I had bilateral TKR after suffering from knee pain due to osteoarthritis for more than a decade. After being fully informed I was convinced that the pain in my knees would be gone and walk  like normal. My right knee was slightly less painful than the left which was constantly in pain . Xray scan revealed ther was no space at all in the joints and both bones had become almost fused. A must for TKR, the operation was done in both knees on the same day. Post op was event free. Doctors said it would take three months. Now after nearly six months my right knee is 90%+ ok and there is no pin and swelling. I can bend as expected. Its the left knee which is trouble. I have severe pain on the medial aspect of the knee , the bending is  restricteded beyond 90 degree and the pain is excruciating. I can walk without the cane climb the stairs with some pain. But while walking on the floor my left knee does not bend and I am limping like before. I am shy to tell  others that I had TKR on that knee.. I was told it would become painless in three months. That obviously is not happening after even six months. I am wondering if there are more people like me who can share their experiences with me. I can reasonably comfortably exercise on the recumbent stationary cycle. But I cannot  keep standing for more than 10 minutes because of the pain in my left knee. I also request  others like me who had bilateral TKR simultaneously more than a year ago who are normally walking now.
I am very worried my knee will never become as expected. Please suggest  somethig based on your own experience.
Thanks all.   kalsai    I am 65
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Avatar universal
Hi!
Thanks for your advice. Oh,my knee is a million times better than the first two months after .surgery.....I've had many surgeries in my life, but the knee replacement was the most painful I've ever had! So the pain I have now in comparison, is much better.

I will keep excercising on my bike, and I might be able to do some pool exercises this summer.

Thanks again for all your help!
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello!

Surgical pain will be present for a period of 1 month and after that with intense physiotherapy the pain has to decrease.

With successful total knee replacement surgery your osteoarthritis is cured.

The pain might be due to fibromyalgia, muscular pain and your bone pathology. Remember your knee joint was completely stiff for 4 years.

Continue physiotherapy and strengthen your thigh muscles.

Take care!
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1 Comments
I had total knee replacement about 10 years ago. I have shooting pains in my right knee.
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