How Long Should Knee Pain Last After a Knee Replacement?

Reviewed by Courtney Bloomer, DO

Emergency Medicine

After knee replacement surgery, most patients notice a significant decrease in pain within 3 to 6 months, though some may experience lingering discomfort beyond that period. Pain duration can vary based on individual healing, nerve sensitivity, and other factors.

Explanation

When you have a knee replacement, it’s normal for your knee to be sore from the surgery. In the first few weeks, the pain comes from the surgery itself, along with swelling and healing tissues. For many people, the pain steadily improves over the next couple of months as the tissues heal and you continue physical therapy. Most patients see marked improvement in their pain by about 3 months, and by 6 months many feel much better and return to normal activities. However, some patients might still experience residual pain longer than this due to factors such as nerve sensitivity or inflammation, sometimes called persistent post-surgical pain. Studies suggest that a small portion of patients may have lingering or neuropathic pain even after 6 months. If pain continues to be a problem or interferes with your daily activities, it’s important to discuss this with your doctor so they can check if additional treatments might help. Always follow your healthcare provider’s advice during your recovery.

(References)

Drosos GI, Triantafilidou T, Ververidis A, Agelopoulou C, Vogiatzaki T, Kazakos K. Persistent post-surgical pain and neuropathic pain after total knee replacement. World J Orthop. 2015 Aug 18;6(7):528-36. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v6.i7.528. PMID: 26301182; PMCID: PMC4539476.
Edwards RR, Campbell C, Schreiber KL, Meints S, Lazaridou A, Martel MO, Cornelius M, Xu X, Jamison RN, Katz JN, Carriere J, Khanuja HP, Sterling RS, Smith MT, Haythornthwaite JA. Multimodal prediction of pain and functional outcomes 6 months following total knee replacement: a prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022 Mar 29;23(1):302. doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05239-3. PMID: 35351066; PMCID: PMC8966339.
Musbahi O, Collins JE, Yang H, Selzer F, Chen AF, Lange J, Losina E, Katz JN. Assessment of Residual Pain and Dissatisfaction in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Methods Matter. JB JS Open Access. 2023 Dec 6;8(4):e23.00077. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.OA.23.00077. PMID: 38058510; PMCID: PMC10697603.

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