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SWELLING & TINGLING IN FOOT AFTER LTKR

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Colleen97531
Colleen97531

Hi everyone.

I wonder if there is anyone who could maybe share their experiences with me.

I am 11 weeks post LTKR. When I woke from surgery, I had extreme swelling all the way down my legs and into my foot (I am sure I am not alone here!!) I had a terrible feeling in my big toe and the next toe. It felt like a had a rubber band tightly fastened around the two toes, constricting them.. I also had a feeling like a thick rope wedged between the two toes. As the swelling went down, this feeling subsided, but has never gone away. I constantly feel a light tingling in these two toes, along with a "thickness" in all of my toes now, and it feels like the ball of my foot is swollen. It also has this "thick" feeling" I do have feeling in the ball and toes, so it's not numb. When I walk, it always feels like there is something stuck under my foot. When I wear closed shoes, it is evident that my left foot is still slightly swollen when compared to my right foot. I also still have slight swelling in my calf and ankle.

I discussed this with my surgeon when I had the feeling in my two toes, and he explained that it was possibly because of the extreme swelling in the knee that the nerve running down the left side of the knee was compressed, resulting in the feeling I was experiencing in the toes on the right of the foot.

My ROM is 118 flexion and 0 on straight leg. I still have swelling in the knee.

I really am concerned about this strange feeling This is really affecting my post op depression. I am trying to hard to kick this depressions but, but am not being very successful.

My next visit to the surgeon is November 3, and I will discuss it with him then.

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1 Reply

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX Colleen97531

    Posted

    Your surgeon could very well be correct. A TKR really screws with the nerves which are always the last to heal or subside. The initial swelling from the operation will go away, however the knee will always swell in the first 12-18 months every time you push it too far while you are recovering. You will learn this the hard way as all of us have. Ger a fit bit or smart watch and track your steps. The software will graph it for you. Time and distance are irrelevant...it's the steps that matter as each one puts a load on the knee. Increase slowly and gradually.

    Stiffness is something that again will go away very, very gradually. By one year, you may notice it a bit from time to time but it will no longer be a major issue. Some report stiffness up to 18 months. Just know that this is a lifetime recovery! Sit and do nothing and the knee will stiffen up even years later. Staying active is a key to putting all this behind you.

    Post-Op Depression is actually a Jedi Mind Trick...

    POD

    Kick it out the door. You have GREAT ROM at this point. Keep working on it...

    ROM Work At Home

    Now is the time to start the mandatory muscle rebuild for your dead quads, glutes, core, hip flexors and more. This is necessary to walk correctly, regain your balance, get the load off the new knee and be able to do stairs normally again down the road...

    Exercise Program

    Remember that you can have pain in that leg or in many other parts of your body...normal...

    Other Pain

    Finally, post this on your fridge...

    Reality

    Get rid of all your expectations. This will take time, work and patience. We've all been through something that none of us were prepared for. The brutality of this op is beyond imagination and we all fell victim to the belief that we'd be back to normal in six weeks. DELUSIONAL!!! Listen to the knee, eat well, hydrate, rest. The whole thing usually takes a year...maybe more. Very few escape that fate. You will find inner strength that you didn't know you had. And the nerve pain? It will go away but probably not quickly. IMHO, I would avoid the nerve pain meds (gabapentin, neurontin, Lyrica, etc.) as they have some serious side effects including weight gain. But everyone makes their own choices. Try some topicals like Voltaren Gel (diclofenac). Helped me a lot. Hope you start feeling better soon.

    PS: I have lots more discussions out there on all sorts of topics. Click my name, Discussions, View All. Have fun...

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