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Numb area on kneecap

Posted , 4 users are following.

sleepymyf
sleepymyf

Back in July I came off my motorbike. I think I mostly landed on my left knee (though I don't remember as the impact gave me concussion so I recall next to nothing of the actual accident). I was taken to hospital where the knee was X-rayed, which apparently showed no break. I was told to rest it, take painkillers, apply ice packs and perhaps try arnica cream.

Unsurprisingly the knee was swollen and painful for a while afterwards but has mostly returned to normal now. Sometimes it does ache a bit if it's had a slight knock or anything, but nothing very troublesome.

However, skin over one half of the kneecap remains numb. I've mentioned this to my GP recently and they didn't seem concerned, but I expected it to have returned to normal by now.

Anyone know if this is likely to go away eventually, or what might be causing it?

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 sleepymyf

    Posted

    Most of us on here have had tkr or more and have have had trouble with numbness somewhere in the area of the knee. Generally speaking, this is some fo of nerve damage. Nerves are possibly the slowest area of the body to heal as they revitilize at a rate of a millimeter in a week or so. It may take a neurologist or neurosurgeon to best analyze the extent of your injury and if the damage is beyond repair as sometimes a severed nerve is affected that way. There is a test that can be run that checks nerve paths and their viability. It somehow tells where the nerve damage is and how it is recovering but only to a point of a couple of weeks ago and not up to the moment. I had it done a few years back and left me a little confused and frustrated. I'm sure the docs got something out of it but it left me asking .ore questions than they were able  or wanted to answer.
  • joansgarden
    joansgarden sleepymyf

    Posted

    I have had a number of knee surgeries (6) and did get nerve damage on one of them that left my big toe unresponsive. The surgeon was mortified, but thought it should come back, and it did - but it took 6 months. Having numb skin is also a sign of nerve damage that may or may not improve. You may just have to live with some numb, or partially-numb skin. Only time will tell.
  • CazDesmond
    CazDesmond sleepymyf

    Posted

    Hi, I had a TKR 3 months ago and the right side of my knee is still numb. I saw my surgeon last week and asked him about it. He seemed very unconcerned and said that he has cut through the nerves and that it will always be numb, he did say that as time goes on it will bother me less.

    Caz

    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 CazDesmond

      Posted

      Carol that has to be the most caviler attitude I've ever heard. I guess they can be that way if they can't be sued for malpractice. Whack him across the knee cap with a steel pipe and tell him it'll be that way unless it happens to go away. Does this guy sit on a throne and make you kneel when you come in to see him? Goes back to the old question: do you know what they call the guy who graduates last in his class at medical school...the answer, doctor
    • CazDesmond
      CazDesmond Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      Ha ha OFG, the first time I ever saw him was after the operation. Each appointment leading up to theTKR was with his staff, but under his name. At the pre admission I was told that he thought he was very good. I saw him once more in my 5 days in hospital. Of the three follow up appointments, I have seen him once - and he said that!

      Caz

       

    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 CazDesmond

      Posted

      I never knew why they wore those masks until I saw the bill. Doesn't give you much confidence in a guy that won't give you a little more face to face time. I have to get x rays and see mine tomorrow. Sure hope they can figure out why the leg, especially the scar tissue area has flared up again. It started about 3 weeks after I sort of passed out and fell on my knees and head. I'm sure he will be kind .....but..... Gotta be getting tired of treatimg a text book screw up like me. 
    • CazDesmond
      CazDesmond Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      Luckily we don't get the bill here, although it won't be long the way this PM is going. How is your head by the way? We are always talking about our knees, but you fell on your head!
    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 CazDesmond

      Posted

      It was a 3 point landing.....both knees and head. You can barely tell where the stitches were

       It split in a deep wrinkle, which of course, is most of the makeup of my forehead. The headaches went away after a few weeks and fortunately I did only minor damage to the floor. I didn't think I hurty knee but after 4 weeks or so it started to hurt

       Now is very swollen and extremely painful after  on it just a few minutes.  Hope to find out why today. It's 1 a.m. and just starting to get pain under control. Will get back to bed in a little bit

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