1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Knee Problems

I've had 2 TKR on my left knee & 1 TKR on my right knee & possibly due to have them both done again?

Posted , 4 users are following.

tom72276
tom72276

Had 3 TKR's in just over 4 years, 2 on the left & 1 on the right & I'm now looking at possibly having them both done again due to instability & ongoing pain, I've also had the poly liners changed in both joints to try & make the joints more stable but unfortunately this hasn't helped.I also had the patella resurfaced on the right knee which made no difference at all, so in just under 4 years I've had 7 major surgeries on both joints & have now been told I need bilateral hip replacements before I may have to have my knees done again, it been explained to me that I have somehow managed to stretch out the joints (must be stronger than I thought?) has anybody else experienced this kind of problem after having knee replacements?

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • nicky14342
    nicky14342 tom72276

    Posted

    Hi,Tom,sorry to hear of your ongoing problems. How did you know that the knee replacements were wrong? I had TKR last Dec and am having problems.
    • tom72276
      tom72276 nicky14342

      Posted

      Hi Nicky, sorry to hear your having problems with the new joint, I had the original left TKR in March 2010 & even at the 6 week post op appt I had a clunking in the joint when moving from side to side with the knee, the pain was practically gone but the joint had a mind of it's own, the surgeon who performed the op told me if it wasn't causing me any pain then I could use it as a party piece? (unbelievable comment) I was then told that patella resurfacing would cure the problem as this wasn't changed during the original op,it didn't, then they said having the liners changed would cure the problem, again no change, I did get pain relief for about 3 months but that seems to be an ongoing symptom with me as nothing lasts for more than 3 months? In April 2012 I had a revised TKR on the left knee, again to start with I had pain relief & no clunking of the joint & thought at long last it's sorted? Oh no, within 3 months it was banging & clunking again & felt even more loose than the 1st joint I had, in between all this my right needed to be replaced & I was slightly dubious about having it done but the pain & swelling helped me decide & I had it done in October 2012, I thought there was no way I would have the same problems with this joint, how wrong was I? Same again everything was great for the 1st few months then I started having the clunking in the right knee as well, it got to the stage where I would have to do an Elvis impression when I got out of my bed just to get the knees working in the morning, once again it was suggested that a liner change would sort out the problem, didn't work on the left knee but I thought give it a go, so Dec 23rd 2013 I had the liners changed & you guessed it a total waste of time yet again 😪 I woke up one morning & couldn't lift my left leg in the air & it turned out my tendon & quads had ruptured & I had to have surgery to repair this, it seems this was down to the amount of surgeries I've had over the years on my left knee (12 & counting) this includes arthroscopies as well so don't be panicking just yet. I've now been informed that the best way forward is to have both joints replaced yet again, but in between all this the back pain I've complained about for over a year now has finally been diagnosed as osteoarthritis in both hips & now I'm having to have both hips replaced before they can do anything more with the knees, really can't work out how this hasn't been picked before now? I've seen numerous therapists over the past 4 years & 1 actually referred me to Podiatry saying my posture wasn't very good, now I know why? I'm in on August 1st to have my left hip replaced & just pray to God Almighty I have more luck with these replacements? As soon as the left ones healed up I'll be going in to have the right one done & then back to the knees. When I was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon I was looking forward to having the op done & being pain free after so long, & limping so badly would be a thing of the past, please don't be put off by all this as I know so many people that have joint replacements & it's given them an improved quality of life, it seems there are around 4% of people that don't benefit in any way from joint replacement & seems I'm one of them, so sorry for droaning on Nicky but it's good to get this off my chest, hope things improve for you as time goes by?
    • camerashy
      camerashy tom72276

      Posted

      When I had my knee done August 2010 I was inso much pain even while I was still in hopital..my doctor said I must have a low pain threshold..I could have hit him  4 years on and the pain is just about the same in my humble opinion it is the ligaments, but then who am I??

       

    • tom72276
      tom72276 camerashy

      Posted

      Hi again, seems 2010 was a bad year for replacement joints? I was examined by a BUPA Consultant in April of this year & he practically pulled me off the table, I'm sure in a past life he must have been an all in wrestler or something & he's telling me as he's pulling me all around the room "That's not pain" I was quite tempted to grab a certain part of his anatomy, squeeze as hard as I could & say "That's not pain" needless to say it wouldn't have been one of my better ideas? (Still would have liked to have done it though) I find the same thing with some of the physios I've seen over the past 4 years since this nightmare started, some have practically got your leg over your shoulder & then you hear the magic words "Just a bit more" oh how I'd like to swap places just for 1 session 😃 keep smiling as things can't get any worse?
    • tom72276
      tom72276 camerashy

      Posted

      Thanks for that, I'll keep you updated as it goes along :-)
  • camerashy
    camerashy tom72276

    Posted

    Hello Tom

    Well that puts my single knee into perspective although all pain is personal to the individual.  I am so sorry to hear that things haven"t gone well for you.

    I often wonder why sugeons keep doing this kind of operation when it seems the stats for a good recovery seem to belie the amount of people still suffering.

    I had heard of a replacement called a signatire knee replacement, where the joint is made to fit the knee...not as it seems to be the practice here that the knee is to fit the replacement.   It is done with laser alignment and it is something I must look into further.  I only found 1 hospital in london that did it and there is little research.  I am only a recipient so know very little.

    Keep keeping on**

    • tom72276
      tom72276 camerashy

      Posted

      Hi, that sounds about the best idea I've heard regarding a replacement joint? The new joint the surgeon wants to fit in both knees now is called a Zimmer joint (scary) it's actually a hinged joint that comes in 1 piece as opposed to the other joints being in two parts? All sounds good but the revised joint in my left knee has a bar on the bottom section & a hook on the top section which are suppose to interlock & reduce instability & the side to side movement, it's been explained to that I have somehow managed to strech out the joint now making it unstable & very painful I just hope I have a bit more luck with the joints they're going to be using in my hips on 1st August? I'm hoping it's going to be 3rd time lucky with the left knee & 2nd time lucky with the right knee? Hope all goes well for you on the road to recovery? Good luck 😉
  • nicky14342
    nicky14342 tom72276

    Posted

    OMG....you poor man! My new joint started clunking within a few weeks of the op and when I go upstairs I feel like the knee goes sideways! On a positive note, they say that hip replacements are easier and less painful..... Do you think I should wait a while longer or see the GP now ? I was discharged by the surgeon at 6 weeks although I was referred back by the physio when things didn't improve. He X-ray ed and scanned it and told me nothing was wrong.
    • tom72276
      tom72276 nicky14342

      Posted

      Nicky I'm lost for words...I've had 3 different surgeons in the past 4 years & they all tell me the x rays look fine, told them I don't walk around on the x rays & nobody knows your body like you do, if the pain is getting worse then I'd go back, if the joint has become loose already then in my experience it will only get worse? I've read so many articles mainly from the states where people have benefited from a poly liner change & the instability has been cured? I've just got home after attending the hip joint clinic for people all going in for their first or their second hip replacement & they all had great results after surgery, I'm hoping as this is a more straightforward surgery I'll have better results than I've had with the knees, even though it's being performed by the same surgeon that has done my last 5 surgeries I feel a lot more confident after speaking with other patients this afternoon, I'm hoping that the pain in my knees will be relieved after hip surgery as they are both connected & if this is the case I will seriously have to consider whether or not I go ahead with any further knee surgeries & just put up with the clunking? Mind you saying that the surgeon has already told me that the hip replacements will cure the pain but not the instability in the joints so it's a catch22 situation really? I hope you get the answer you're looking for if you go back to your GP? Can't believe the surgeon discharged you after just 6 weeks, I had follow up appts @ 3/6/12 months after surgery, just seems a bit quick to me? Good luck to you whichever road you choose to persue, don't let them fob you off Nicky 😉
  • SolarCycles
    SolarCycles tom72276

    Posted

    Yes it appears these knee replacements aren't all they are cracked up to be. I had a TKR with an Extensor Mechanism Allograft in March 2013, initially  I felt things were going well and any issues I had with pain and instability was down to post operative recovery. How wrong I was as it turned out that my pain and instability worsened around Xmas, I then saw my consultant in April of this year and he said the x-rays where satisfactory and anymore surgery wouldn't solve my problems. I was told to wear an uploader brace with some othrotic heel wedges to correct my valgus looking knee, and if this didn't work then fusing the leg would be the only alternative.

    Naturally I wasn't happy with this and sought a second opinion which I had two weeks ago, after examining me and looking at my x-rays he decided that I needed a revision due to the laxity in the ligaments and this would be the only way of resolving the pain and instability. He also said that there was a high risk of infection and the possibility of   an amputation if this all went wrong. I'm not sure if my problems are down to surgical error or just plain old bad luck though.

    • tom72276
      tom72276 SolarCycles

      Posted

      Hi, I'm so sorry to hear your having such a major problem, can't believe that so many people encounter so many problems after having a TKR? Amazing what a second opinion can achieve, I would think that all the things you've mentioned are purely meant as a worse case scenario & are hopefully just that? I have been asking the same question regarding surgical error for quite some time, especially now as my hips have only been diagnosed with osteoarthritis after a second opinion in April of this year, unfortunately trying to prove any surgical error or negligence is extremely difficult, hopefully if you have the revised TKR all will be well & you can hopefully live a normal everyday life? Good luck
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.