Severe damage to the knee joint due to injury or diseases such as arthritis can cause significant pain and limited mobility in affected patients. For certain patients, total knee joint replacement surgery can help alleviate knee discomfort and restore normal function to the knee. Each year, a quarter of a million people in the United States undergo knee joint replacement surgery, according to the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. Prior to surgery, patients should talk with a doctor about the potential complications after total knee joint replacement.
Nerve Damage
During total knee joint replacement surgery, a surgeon can accidentally damage the nerves that surround the surgical site, MayoClinic.com warns. If this occurs, patients can experience sensations of tingling, burning or numbness within the treated knee or leg as a complication after surgery. These sensations can be uncomfortable and may interfere with a patient's ability to move the affected knee or leg. As a patient begins to heal after surgery, nerve damage symptoms typically subside. In rare cases, severe nerve damage is permanent and can result in chronic knee or leg numbness.
Knee Stiffness
After this surgical procedure, tough, inflexible scar tissue can develop around the newly implanted prosthetic knee joint. Scar tissue is more difficult to move than normal, healthy tissue and can interfere with a patient's ability to fully bend or extend the knee. A patient may experience a sensation of stiffness or instability in the treated knee, the University of Washington School of Medicine reports. Severe or persistent stiffness may require that a patient undergo additional surgery to address this total knee joint replacement complication.
Infection
Any type of surgery, including total knee joint replacement, elevates a patient's risk of developing infection complications. Patients can develop an infection at the incision site or within the knee. A severe infection that involves the prosthetic knee joint may result in the surgical removal of the infected joint, MedlinePlus warns. Patients who develop symptoms of infection, such as increased knee pain, knee swelling, fever or incision site inflammation or drainage should contact a doctor immediately.
Blood Vessel Damage or Blood Clots
Patients who have total knee joint replacement surgery can sustain blood vessel damage as a complication of this procedure. Typically, blood vessel damage is immediately detected and repaired by a surgeon during surgery. Certain patients can also develop sticky masses of blood, called blood clots, that adhere to the inside of veins in the legs, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Blood clot complications can be serious, especially if a blood clot in the legs detaches and travels into a patient's lungs. Symptoms of leg blood clots, such as leg pain, swelling or redness, should be immediately reported to a medical professional.
Heart Attack, Stroke or Death
Severe complications, such as a heart attack, stroke or death, are rare and affect less than 1 in every 400 people who undergo total knee joint replacement, the University of Washington School of Medicine reports.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Knee Replacement - Risks
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Total Knee Replacement
- MedlinePlus: X-Plain - Knee Replacement Surgery
- University of California San Francisco Medical Center: Knee Replacement
- University of Washington School of Medicine: Total Knee Replacement - Considering Surgery
