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Back of knee pain after TKR

Posted , 54 users are following.

Jillystev3012
Jillystev3012

HI

i had a tkr on 12/01 and still have a lot of pain and taking my analgesia regularly. The pain is mainly in the back of my knee now when weight bearing and a little under my knee cap. I find it difficult walking downstairs leading with my non tkr leg but can go upstairs consecutively. Does anyone else suffer pain in back of knee, is this normal? I'm beginning to think my knee will never be normal again.I just want to wake up in the morning and find that all the pain's gone and i can walk normal.

3 likes, 56 replies

56 Replies

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  • telcpa
    telcpa Jillystev3012

    Posted

    I had mine the day before you (11/30) so we can compare notes.  I also can go upstairs with no issues but downstairs requires holding the railing.  I also have pain in similar areas such as you describe.  I call them "thunder" and "lightening". Dull throbbing pain is "thunder" and the sharp quick pains are the "lightening".  

    Still taking some prescription pain meds (Tramadol), but only one at bedtime.  I use aceteminophen or naproxen during the day mostly.

    I think we are moving along but it's a slow process, as anyone here can attest.

  • Damy
    Damy Jillystev3012

    Posted

    Hi Jilly,

    i had my TKR on left knee December 10! So we are at about the same post op. I did have some pain in the back of knee, so when I iced I put an ice pack underneath the knee as well as on the front. This helped.also raising ur leg up on a few pillows as helped me in general.

    are u going for pt? If so, I would mention this to them and maybe they can help w/ some stretches. Sometimes I can do the stairs consecutively and sometimes not. I am still in pt 3/x week. It has been extremely helpful. 

    Hope this helps, 

    Damy

  • Annibgood
    Annibgood Jillystev3012

    Posted

    I'm 26th November.

    Pains in back of knees is what got me here in the first place!

    Can walk up and down the stairs.

    Walk without a limp about 30mins before 'log leg' kicks in.

    But if I sit with it down for any length of time it stiffens and throbs.

    Can identify with the 'thunder and lightning pains' also.

    Still having problems sleeping

    Still taking painkillers.

  • nicky14342
    nicky14342 Jillystev3012

    Edited

    Hi Jilly. I had a revision of TKR 11th Dec. All that you write about is normal I'm afraid! As the others here have said,it can take quite a while to recover from this op. Remember that it is a brutal,major op on limbs that do all the weight bearing,balancing and movement of your whole body. Your ligaments and tendons take longer than bone to heal as do your nerves (the "lightning"!). Try to keep up a positive mindset, be kind to yourself and do what ever is needed that helps....including a good rant/cry etc!
  • Jillystev3012
    Jillystev3012

    Posted

    Thank you everyone for your invaluable help and advice.

    it's so reassuring when you can come on here and talk to other people who are going or have been thro the same thing.

    I would like to clarify that when i said I had a tkr on 12/01. I meant 12January. I am not from USA i'm in the UK.

    THANK YOU ALL

  • ann38435
    ann38435 Jillystev3012

    Posted

    I am in the UK, had TKR Dec 2015. I continue to have stiffness and pain but only take pain relief it is unbearable. I found coming downstairs a real challenge and try to do this once a day. I find walking tiring and yesterday I walked the further since the op. I felt the same pain in my unopersted knee and think I may have to have this one done. Not a decision to be taken lightly as I never really understood the enormity of having TKR. However I think I did so well in the first couple of weeks, I have now reached the stage where it is just recovery time . Patience I feel is the key to the success.. 
  • angela52217
    angela52217 Jillystev3012

    Posted

    Hi Jilly

    I had my tkr four days before you.  Generally doing well with little pain, bend good, straight not so good.

    You say you are having difficulty walking downstairs leading with non TKR leg.   I am fine with this - actually live in a bungalow, but when confronted with stairs at people's houses I am OK.  However, I was told at hospital and feel I have seen in on here that you lead with your bad leg "down to hell" and your good leg going "up to heaven".   See if a change helps.

     

  • denyse2849
    denyse2849 Jillystev3012

    Posted

    I had total left knee replacement on 05/09/17. I was allergic to the tape they used, to cover my incision. The skin around the incision  was horrible look like I got burned. Second week I had this unbearable pain over the weekend, behind my calf, under my heel moved up to my incision. I called my Dr Monday, the nurse send me to the hospital, I had ultrasound done, where they discovered. I had developed a blood clot. I was put immediately on blood thinners. My pain level is still beyond a 10, I can't sleep well at night. I'm totally frustrated because I was coming along so good, dispised my pain. Don't know if anyone else having these symptoms. (:

    • brian97216
      brian97216 denyse2849

      Posted

      I had blood clots three weeks out had to do lovonox injections into stomach fat tissues until inr was within range . That took two weeks injections didn’t hurt needles were sharp so you could ease them in the medication stinger a little. Other than that np just had to alternate sides and stay two inches away from belly button also sometimes I got bruises from certain areas which is common. You just have to make sure you don’t inject into the bruise. They also put me on warfarin. Now just the warfarin. My inr is 2.9 which is within range . Range is 2.0-3.0 any lower clots and any higher excessive bleeding. I’m in a lot of pain now even though im in range they said they’ll repeat the ultrasound to eliminate additional clots. Also it’s important they told me to limit my green vegetable intake cause it reduces the strength of the warfarin. It’s still ok to eat some greenery for me it’s salads so I limit it to one or two a week and smaller portions. Hope this helps speedy recovery to all who are going through this procedure!smile
    • jacqueline57661
      jacqueline57661 denyse2849

      Posted

      I love this site. I am 11 weeks in and am having a lot of pain behind my knee and lower calf muscle. I walk about 3 miles a day try to go to the gym a few times a week and do a lot of stretching but my muscles are always tight. Yes I ice and put heat on it but nothing is working I get so depressed. I am having my other knee done Jan. 29th and feeling a little scared. I'm hoping this knee will be strong enough by then. I can go up the stairs but going down is still hard I do it but I have to forces it.

       

  • Collie_Boo
    Collie_Boo Jillystev3012

    Posted

    Thank you so much Jillystev. This was exactly what I was looking for. Good clear method that worked for the writer and I hope for me.

    Thanks again,

    Colleen from Australia

  • tom809
    tom809 Jillystev3012

    Edited

    I am a retired orthopedic surgeon and did TKR's when in practice. Regrettably I never asked about or thought about thigh pain post op until after being retired in Jan 2016 when I had my L TKR. 3 weeks ago I had my R TKR and as with the L most of my pain is in the thigh. It took 4-5 months but my L knee is now pain free.

    Possible causes of thigh pain. 1. Tourniquet 2. Pre op shortening of muscles and ligaments due to previous flexion contracture of the knee which now need to have normal length reestablished 3. Swelling from surgery 4. Hematoma causing irritation of muscles (I am black and blue from knee to hip) 5. Muscle injury caused by positioning of leg during surgery (doubtful). 6, Muscle imbalance causing abnormal stress. 7.Temporary Alteration to circulation

    Treatment: There are probably other causes but if you consider 1-7 above the most obvious approach for treatment is PT and the modalities and TIME

    1. Ice 2. Stretching 3.ultra sound 4 Taping (I have been made a believer. To my surprise it has helped me). 5. Progressive strengthening 6. Elect. stim 7. and all the other routine PT approaches and modalities

    I have also tried CBD ointment (marijuana extract w/out the THC) but have not found it very helpful but may be helpful in working off the Rx pain pills.

    I am presently starting a Rx called Lyrcia. This and Neurotin and meds to help nerve pain and often help with post op pain. 

    Remember that most TKR do eventually reach the point of minimal or no pain so stay positive but keep looking for other things to try. I personally would get off addictive pain killers if possible and use trial and error to see what any untried modalities might help. Good Luck

    • jenny61596
      jenny61596 tom809

      Posted

      I had take 6 weeks ago and for first 5 weeks really in constant bad pain, couldn’t sleep , but slept on and off all day , pain meds didn’t seem to work. Couldn’t do much physio because of pain, couldn’t bear the area touched which I should have been massaging but just too horrible . The thing that has turned it around is a isles my GP for Lyrica , and my dreadful nerve pain has stopped and I have cut back on the opioids . Wish I had it from day one instead of total agony. Something the surgeons  should give immediately post op . Now I have to catch up with exercises 
    • steve47006
      steve47006 tom809

      Posted

      Hi Tom

      I had my L TKR 2 weeks ago, and fully agree about tourniquet pain, first week post op was horrific, decreasing to painful, last week the "jumping" pains have gradually disappeared thankfully.

      I get around on 1 stick now and now the clips are out can go in the shower.

      Back of the knee is still very tender to pressure while seated, but keeping stretching , icing and pain meds going, which seems to be the best thing, especially icing.

      Good luck with your recovery

      Steve

  • martha08360
    martha08360 Jillystev3012

    Posted

    did you ever get better and has all the pain left by now?
    • woodie01
      woodie01 martha08360

      Posted

      Pain has reduced to 20% after 7 months.  Pain is not from the replacement but the tissue around the knee.
    • jenny61596
      jenny61596 martha08360

      Posted

      I had a knee replacement 6 years ago , was an injury caused it. It’s fine sometimes aches a bit , never quite back to normal  . Because I put off gettting it done for two years my other one after 6 years just started to hurt , so did it immediately. This time a different part and more precise , also used glue instead of staples . 3 months now , still aches at night but on the whole not bad, I was walking other day and forgot about it. It’s defin the nerve pain that takes longest to go . I was told to make sure I massage it to help the nerve pain , or it wouldn’t go altogether . I have been slack doing that as I hate the feeling . But I think because of improved methods my second knee may be better than first , scar is very small and neat . But I was in a lot of pain for 7 wks or so . 
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