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Pain at rear of knee.

Posted , 5 users are following.

larry43899
larry43899

I'm bone on bone in my right knee but now my left knee has developed it's own niggles.

I've had problems there for a while but it's getting to be more painful now.

Anybody else had pain there and what was the outcome, cause or diagnosis.

I don't think there's a cyst by the way.

Any help will be appreciated

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • fedupgirl
    fedupgirl larry43899

    Posted

    Sounds like osteoarthrtus , i had this in my left leg for years..bone on bone very pain ful. I had several xrays and in the end was told i needed a hip and knee replacement as the bone was so bad. Last year i had the hip replacement and six months later a knee replacement. They are major operations and i am now 5 months on from TKR...but have no pain now. There is pain after the operation and it does feel strange but if you are suffering then i would recommend the TKR..i have no regrets.. Have your leg Xrayed and get some pain relief. Good luck

    • larry43899
      larry43899 fedupgirl

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply, Fedup

      I've had a hip replacement on the same side as the rear knee pain which I've never had any problems with but you'll be bang on about the arthritis in my knees. They'll both need doing eventually

  • karen14697
    karen14697 larry43899

    Posted

    Yep-TKR for the damage done by osteoarthritis. Just had my second knee done. Don't put it off as i waited too long fir the 1st one and it took a long, long time to recuperate. With my left, I got mt operation sooner and the results have been amazing. This time I am walking with only a cane after a week post-op! Don't wait - your quality of life will be sooooo much better. Good luck

    • larry43899
      larry43899 karen14697

      Posted

      Cheers Karen, I'll have to see what happens soon. I started doing a bit on my mountain bikes put pedalling hurts the one with pain at the rear.

      It also gives me that same pain in bed when you get a knock feeling in the joint

  • ptliveguy
    ptliveguy larry43899

    Posted

    Hey Larry, depending on how old you are and if the "bone on bone" correlates with actual pain that is consistent with specific mechanical movements (always hurts with x,y,z), one being bone on bone won't mean that you're other knee will follow suit, just sometimes we get a crappy roll of the dice with our joints! Some folks have injections some use braces, some benefit from physical therapy some are helped by swimming or biking... I would suggest googling for a good digital physio and seeing what they have to say about it after a good assessment. Imaging is getting worse and worse at creating an accurate diagnosis for the cause of your knee pains but a correlating movement assessment and your symptom presentation would be a good place to start!

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX larry43899

    Posted

    If it's osteoarthritis plus a bone on bone situation and the pain cannot be relieved by OTC means, here are your options:

    1. Cortisone Shot - Works for some people up to a year; for others, it doesn't last more than a few days. Very temporary fix. Done by an orthopedist.
    2. SynVisc - The standard for decades. Lubricates the knee and stops the pain. The one-shot version can last up to six months; the three-shot regimen can last up to a year. For some people, it doesn't work at all. For me, it was very successful year after year when I was in my mid to late 50's.Done by an orthopedist.
    3. COOLIEF - FDA approved minor under-sedation procedure. Supposed to be excellent for osteoarthritis in all major joints. Go to the COOLIEF website and find a certified MD or DO near you. Had this done recently on my hip...takes up to a few months to get the full effect. For some people, it lasts for 2-3 years. My DO says he has patients that do this on their knees to continuously put off the inevitable...
    4. Total Knee Replacement (TKR) - End of the line. This is your absolute last option if you are bone on bone, in pain and nothing else works. I had four knee scopes (two each side) in my early to mid-50s that left me with very little cartilage plus arthritis. Put it off for years with SynVisc plus moving to a much warmer climate. Needed the TKR at age 68. It's a long and painful recovery (typically, a year...back to work at 4-6 months) but eventually really, really worth it. I'm 3+ years post-op and glad I had it done. I will be using COOLIEF on the other knee when it starts acting up. Would love to put off the second TKR as long as possible.

    Those are your choices if the diagnosis is correct.

    • karen14697
      karen14697 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      My synvisc shot lasted 90 days and I got them almost religiously for 3 years. I put off the tkr too long As a result, it took me months to recover. This time, I went forward with LTKR and i am walking great without a cane at post-op DAY 12. I feel so fortunate but have been working hard on my exercises and using ice! CHICO you'll need to add my name to your list of extra-ordinary recoveries. MEADURED 125+ today at POST-OP Day 12!! Onward!!!

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX karen14697

      Posted

      Well, now I can count them all on one full hand!!! Congrats on your amazing escape!!! A highly improbably statistical anomaly that you pulled off with remarkable precision and aplomb. You are legend!

    • larry43899
      larry43899 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Chico i don't know whether options 2 and 3 are available in the UK but both seem better than going straight to a knee replacement

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX larry43899

      Posted

      I call it "climbing the ladder of care". You start off with the least invasive thing you can do: ice/heat, PT, exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles to take the pressure off the knee, topicals like Voltaren Gel (diclofenac) and AsperCream 4% Lidocaine. Then there are things you can put in your body: ibuprofen to Tramadol to opioids, I certainly don't recommend the long-term use of ANY of these. I would stay away from drugs like Gabapentin (Neurontin), Lyrica, Cymbalta, etc. Lots of side effects plus withdrawal can be brutal.

      Next come the cortisone and SynVisc injections, if available, followed by a COOLIEF procedure which is a minimally invasive, nonopioid, cooled radiofrequency procedure that targets the nerves causing the knee pain. It may be called something else over where you are. After that, it's time for the last train to TKRville.

      I would look at ALL your options before going for the TKR. Yes, it's the ultimate fix but you have to know the reality of it and most docs will never tell you much. Click on my name and then "Discussions" over on the right side and finally "View All". Over 30 discussions including ones on pre-op expectations, post-op depression, pain, sleeping (or more like not sleeping), ROM wor, exercising, etc., plus a few on more mental and spiritual issues. If you go TKR, I hope they will be helpful.

  • fedupgirl
    fedupgirl larry43899

    Posted

    Hi Larry, Chico is right TKR is the last option, i was offered it 7 years ago but went for a clean up with a camera, my surgeon showed me the before and after pictures, the bones had crushed my cartlidge, no wonder i was in so much pain, he repaired it and it did last for a few years. I then tried injections , stronger pain relief. It was the end of the line for me last year and was surprised when i was told i needed both hip and knee replacements, which i had both done within a year. It is a hard recovery but i am doing so well now, i have reached 115 rom and am back line dancing again, i get a few twinges if i over do it but i am still in recovery,i am 67 years old, seek help but best wishes whatever you decide.

    • larry43899
      larry43899 fedupgirl

      Posted

      Over a year ago my specialist offered a partial knee replacement as only the inside part of the knee was bone on bone.

      The only proviso was that i either get a more sedentary job or retire.

      The next time i saw him he asked what painkillers I was taking?? When i told him ibuprofen he said it's not a painkiller, but an anti inflammatory and told me exhaust all the painkillers first.

      I tried codeine and a couple of others and they made no difference so I'm back to ibuprofen.

      I'm prepared to wait till there's no other option but while the bone on bone knee has deteriorated over 5 or 6 years, the other one (pain at the rear) seems to have crept up on me

    • karen14697
      karen14697 larry43899

      Posted

      as i noted above, don't wait too long. the longer you wait, the harder the rehab, which has been my experience.

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX karen14697

      Posted

      I somewhat agree. The timing is very individual but there are some considerations here. Getting a TKR too early and it won't last as long as you might need to. Then again, you probably don't want a TKR in your 80's. So when's the best time?

      I guess it depends on your pain level and whether or not you can mitigate that in some way. Is the ideal time in your early to mid-60's? Young enough to handle the rehab but old enough to have it last to your late 80's? When do you think you'll "kick the bucket"? It's all a crapshoot. And what if science can make you live to 100? That knee is NOT going to last that long.

      There no right answer to this. We have people on here who absolutely needed a TKR in their late 40's...and they know they'll need another sooner or later. That's their challenge. I guess the best possible answer is put it off when you can but not too long where the rehab will be very difficult. Play the cards you're dealt and hope for the best.

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