Can Nerve Injury After Knee Replacement Be Permanent

Knee surgery is meant to repair damage or pain and improve stability, strength, and range of motion. Unfortunately, some people experience nerve injury after a knee replacement. New issues arise from such complications, making recovery difficult.

To reduce nerve pain and other symptoms of damage or injury, physical therapy and rehabilitation is often recommended and play a crucial role in the healing process. Customized and regular exercises increase strength, flexibility, and range of motion while improving blood flow for faster healing. TENS therapy, heat or ice treatment, medication, can also be part of your recovery guidelines.

The following sections discuss more about nerve injuries resulting from knee surgery.

Is Nerve Injury After Knee Replacement Permanent?

Nerve injury after knee surgery is a possible complication to consider. Whether it is permanent or not, largely depends on the extend, type and underlying causes of an injury. Treatment may be successful when it starts right away. Such damage usually occurs when a nerve is cut, compressed, or trapped in scar tissue during surgery or healing.

Though some discomfort is expected after knee replacement, chronic or severe pain shouldn’t be ignored.

Can nerve injury worsen or spread?

If left untreated, this condition may get worse and spread to other parts of the body. Also, there is no set recovery time for nerve injury after knee replacement surgery. For some people, recovery takes only a bit of time for their symptoms to improve. Others require prolonged treatment or surgical intervention to repair the damage. Recovery time depends on the type and severity of the damage and its location.

Luckily, nerve damage during a knee surgery is considered rare by many doctors, so there is little cause for concern. Even when it does occur, a full recovery is likely in most cases. The symptoms may even go away on their own. For some, regular recovery therapies and guidelines are often enough to heal the damage.

How to fix it?

Nerve injury after a knee replacement doesn’t always heal naturally during regular recovery treatments. If this is the case, your doctor may recommend a few other options to fix the damage. How to fix it may depend on the cause, location, and severity of the issue.

Physical therapy is the best treatment option to reduce discomfort and scar tissue formation. A trained therapist may also use a TENS unit, which provides electrical stimulation for temporary pain relief and promotes blood flow to the affected area.

For more serious complications, you may need revision surgery to correct damage and remove scar tissue. A knee scope is a less invasive procedure, though it isn’t ideal due to the risk of infection.

If you’re concerned about pain or other symptoms of nerve injury after knee replacement surgery, speak to your doctor immediately. Those experiencing such nerve damage often complain of pain. The discomfort could be intense and often feels like it’s coming from the joint or scarred area. Pain is also common when moving or bending the knee or when it’s bumped. Other possible symptoms include burning, tingling, or weakness in the knee.

Resources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/knee-replacement/about/pac-20385276
https://www.cortho.org/knee/pain-after-knee-replacement/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5951729/

This article is for educational and informational purpose only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. For any questions about your own health condition, speak to a qualified physician or healthcare provider.