HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

I Had Medial Partial Knee Replace On 11-8-19. After Three

Posted on Sat, 9 May 2020

Question: I had medial partial knee replace on 11-8-19. After three months can hear creptius in that knee. Was wondering if this goes away over a period time. Also had another question about the knee feeling loose. Can feel the implant hitting the other part of the implant when I'm laying down and moving my legs around. Sometimes feel it when walking and make a side movement. Last thing is this numbness on the right side on the knee, does this go away over time. Always feel uncomfortable when kneeling down. Thanks

Answered by Dr. Aashish Raghu (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Answer

Detailed Answer:
Hi there

Thanks for the query

Crepitus and knee feeling loose may be present after a partial or total knee replacement because of surgical procedure to loosen the knee while putting in the implants.

You feel the implant hitting that's because your knee cap may be hitting on the implant while walking and can be normal.

Numbness on the inner aspect of the knee could signify nerve damage and can improve in 6 months to a year.

If you have any knee pain or much instability while walking with a feeling of the knee going to give away then it is best to consult your surgeon. Otherwise physiotherapy and strength training of your Quadriceps muscle will suffice.

I hope I have answered your query.

I will be available to answer your follow up queries.

Regards,

Aashish Raghu

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Aashish Raghu (33 minutes later)

Does this crepitus go away at all? Never had it prior to surgery and has been getting pretty loud lately when excising. Does the implant hitting the knee cap improve over time with strength training? Thanks

Answered by Dr. Aashish Raghu (23 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
As answered below

Detailed Answer:
This could be due to scar formation in the tissues of your operated knee causing the Crepitus feeling.

Knee cap hitting the implant could be due to some malalignment of the balance of the knee cap. Further X-rays need to be done to confirm patellar mal-tracking.

Definitely physiotherapy will help bring strength and better control of the knee cap and may need a brace.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee

Follow up: Dr. Aashish Raghu (5 hours later)

Just wanted to know if this crepitus will go away over time. Have you any experience with this or patients that had it and went away over time. As for physiotherapy, I've been handling this on my own. Using resistance bands with squats and lunges to strength the quads and toe lifts for the calf muscles. The knee cap is tracking fine to. Misalignment does not seem to be an issue. Walk just fine with no pain. There is still a little bit of swelling after work outs but that goes away. Mainly concerned about this crepitus if it goes away over time or if I need another operation to get rid of it. Thanks

Answered by Dr. Aashish Raghu (14 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Needs further investigations

Detailed Answer:
You will need an MRI scan to find out if the Crepitus is due to scar or anything else because a scar inside the tissues is a common finding in most patients.

In my experience if you think the Crepitus isn't getting better or if it's getting worse then it's best to get an MRI to look for scar tissue. If not then physiotherapy alone will suffice and if it's due to muscle weakness it should gradually resolve over time.

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee