“I have more pain after my knee replacement?”
I had a total knee replacement for my left knee on March 11, 2021. My knee is now swollen (more so when I walk), my knee hurts (aches at night), my back and hip (probably bursitis) hurt, and my ankle gets swollen when I walk. I don’t have blood clots. My test was negative. I have been exercising; however, I had to modify it due to breast cancer surgery. In the meantime, I don’t understand why it’s happening. My other knee that was replaced is great (replaced on May 26, 2020). I am totally frustrated. I just take Tylenol.
Female | 63 years old
Complaint duration: 2 months
Conditions: Osteoarthritis, cancer patient, thyroid
3 Answers
OrthopaedicSurgeonOrthopaedicSurgeon
Sometimes if you have arthritis in the hip on the same side as the knee replacement, that can cause referred pain. So I would go have your hip examined and X-rays. If the x-ray is normal, you may have a knee joint chronic infection you will need to get the knee aspirated by your orthopedic surgeon and fluid sent to a lab to rule out infection.
Most important thing is to rule out infection; I would recommend that you go back to your surgeon and have them aspirate your knee and send the fluid for analysis.
There are many reasons why your knee could still be swelling, and you should probably follow up with your surgeon. If you are unhappy with his answers, ask for a second opinion. In some rare cases, continued swelling of a total knee without improvement over 6 months may be a sign of infection, malposition of the components, metal allergic reaction, to name a few things. In some cases, it might just be a function of your body's recovery.
Robert D. Swift, DO, FAOAO
Robert D. Swift, DO, FAOAO
