Posted on 16th May, 2023 at 5:31:12 AM
People generally have the tendency of ignoring joint pain unless the pain adversely prevents them from carrying out their day-to-day activities. We often see patients who come to us when their knee has been damaged to a great extent and should have opted for a knee replacement early on. Hence, with this article, we would like to highlight the 3 key signs that should not be ignored and might validate the need to consult a knee replacement surgeon.
1. Recurrent Severe Knee Pain: This might sound obvious. However, one needs to know that not all knee pain validates the need for knee surgery. If the knee pain becomes severe even by doing basic activities like
If the pain does not go away for good even after taking painkillers and icing. It is very much possible that your knee joint bones have suffered irreparable damage and might require surgical intervention. An x-ray might show the extent of damage, based on which a knee surgeon can suggest the treatment protocol watch out secrets for finding minimally invasive versus traditional replacement procedures quickly.
2. Stiffness or Limited Range of Motion: Stiffness in joints is normal as the human body ages. As the body ages the ligaments and cartilages tend to wear out. They keep the joints lubricated and avoid friction between the bones. As they deteriorate the friction between joints increases slowly reducing the range of motion and increasing stiffness. If this increased stuffiness is preventing a person from walking or sitting cross-legged, accompanied by aggravating pain, chances are you might need to consult an orthopedic surgeon.
3. Instability: The weakening of ligaments and stiffness in joints generally leads to instability of the knee. It’s a bit difficult to identify & explain. However, if you get the feeling that your knee might give away and you might fall when trying to do basic activities (explained in the knee pain section). If untreated the feeling can turn into an actual fall. This can not only affect the knee but cause other problems like fractures of other bones as well.
WHAT IF! One continues to live with these Signs: The beauty of the human body is that it tries to adapt itself based on changes in the body. If the signs highlighted above are only present in one leg and if it is left untreated. The body will try to shift the weight to the better of the two legs. Needless to say, this will make matter worse for the second leg, and the problem which could have been treated by a unilateral TKR (single leg) might now need a bilateral TKR.
