Need a second opinion after a joint replacement?

Are you having pain in or around your total joint replacement?

Often times, patients can have residual aches and pains after their total hip or total knee replacements. These discomforts are usually mild in nature and may come and go, or can be related to activity, which may be normal.

Continuous pain or discomfort in or around an artificial joint can be of more concern. Other important signs include a change in how your total joint feels or if your activities have declined over time because of pain in a replaced joint. There can be multiple reasons why your total joint may be hurting or not functioning well, but these symptoms should be evaluated. Sometimes you may just need to be reassured that everything is okay. Some of the reasons for a painful joint replacement are listed here:

The age of your implant is important. Artificial joints are mechanical devices that resurface your arthritic joint. In joint replacements, that surface can be metal on plastic, metal on metal, or ceramic on ceramic. Similar to the treads on a tire, surfaces of replaced joints can wear out over time. When they wear, they no longer provide a smooth surface for hip or knee motion, which can cause recurrent pain.

Pain can also come from the surrounding bone. As artificial joints wear, there can be a reaction within the bone surrounding your implant called “lysis” that can cause loosening of the implant. As the lysis becomes larger, the surrounding bone becomes weaker and can compromise the fixation and performance of your total joint replacement.

Occasionally, total joints may also be unstable. In the hip, instability can be a sensation of looseness or your hip may pop out of joint as you get into certain positions. A total hip that dislocates is also a concern due to the damage that can be done to the implant and surrounding muscles and ligaments. In the knee, instability can be a sensation of your knee buckling or “giving way” as you attempt to rise from a seated position, climb stairs, or as you attempt to take a step. You may feel as if your knee is unsteady. This may mean that the ligaments around your knee are no longer working appropriately or that the implant has loosened.

Infection is another concern and can present as redness, swelling, and increasing and persistent pain in your hip or knee. Patients can even have fever or chills associated with a joint infection.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please call us at Renaissance Orthopaedics for an appointment and second opinion. As part of your evaluation, x-rays will be taken of your joint and there may be a need for other special tests such as a bone scan, CT scan, or even drawing fluid out of the joint. However, the first step is to make an appointment to have your symptoms evaluated. Many times the replaced joint is fine and you just need to be reassured!