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Issues with sudden swelling after 2 1/2 years after TKR

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Mwarda
Mwarda

suddenly two months ago my knee started buckling and swelling with no injury.  Having PT but no success.  Possible facing surgery but not sure what it could be.  Pain under knee cap which was not replaced.  Prosthesis appeRs to be fine. Any ideas

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4 Replies

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX Mwarda

    Posted

    It could literally be anything.  You said "Prosthesis appears to be fine"...how do you know?  Has your ortho done an x-ray or MRI?  If yes and the TKR looks good, so many things could be wrong that don't show up on imaging.  Happened to me 4 times; needed 4 scopes to find and fix the problems.

    "No injury"...you just may not have noticed.  Many years ago, I was sitting on my daughter's couch in her family room...new tile floor...no rug.  When I got up, my sneaker tread somehow got caught in the grout. I turned...my foot didn't.  Started getting swelling and pain a few days later.  Ortho...x-ray...mri...scope.  Seems that I tore the femoral condyle cartilage completely off the bottom of the femur.  One little "twist"...who knew?

    Remember that you still have the bursa sac on your knee plus all the ligaments and tendons in there.  Sometimes, the doc's just gotta go in...

    • Mwarda
      Mwarda CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Thanks this gives me a lot to think about.  I have had X-ray and bone scan but not MRI due to

      Prosthetic knee.   I have a feeling it will need a look inside.  Seeing surgeon in November 

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX Mwarda

      Posted

      Hmmmmm...  MRI after a TKR.  This is from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH)...

      "Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been considered of limited benefit following arthroplasty because of severe image degradation caused by metallic components. However, with modification of pulse sequences, artifact reduction and improved visualization of periprosthetic tissues are achievable, enabling a comprehensive assessment of articular and nonarticular pathologies."

      So, yes, you used to get distorted imaging on an MRI because of the metal...but it's getting better...

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