Can Knee Pain Lead to Numbness in the Leg?

Reviewed by Suo Lee, MD

Internal Medicine

Yes, knee problems can sometimes cause numbness in the leg because nerves near the knee may become irritated or injured, leading to numbness or tingling sensations.

Explanation

Knee pain and numbness in the leg can be linked due to how nerves work. Nerves run near the knee, and sometimes a problem in the knee can affect these nerves. For example, in knee osteoarthritis, inflammation in the joint may also irritate nerve fibers, making the leg feel numb or tingly. In other cases, people who have knee surgery like a total knee arthroplasty might experience numbness because of how the surgeon makes incisions or handles tissues near those nerves. One important nerve in this area is the peroneal nerve. If this nerve is compressed, stretched, or even injured during an injury or surgery, it can lead to numbness that spreads from the knee to parts of the leg. Not every case of knee pain will lead to numbness, but when nerves are involved and affected by arthritis or medical procedures, numbness may occur. If someone notices these symptoms, it helps to talk with a doctor who can figure out the cause and suggest ways to manage the condition.

(References)

Lezak B, Massel DH, Varacallo MA. Peroneal Nerve Injury. [Updated 2024 Feb 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549859/
Polat CS, Doğan A, Sezgin Özcan D, Köseoğlu BF, Koçer Akselim S. Is There a Possible Neuropathic Pain Component in Knee Osteoarthritis? Arch Rheumatol. 2017 Apr 24;32(4):333-338. doi: 10.5606/ArchRheumatol.2017.6006. PMID: 29901006; PMCID: PMC5868471.
Kulshrestha V, Sood M, Kumar S, Kumar P, Stanley A, Padhi PP, Sharma S. Numbness Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: Role of Incision Length And Position - A Randomized Study. Clin Orthop Surg. 2023 Feb;15(1):59-70. doi: 10.4055/cios21140. Epub 2022 Nov 30. PMID: 36778989; PMCID: PMC9880504.
Shetty T, Nguyen JT, Sasaki M, Wu A, Bogner E, Burge A, Cogsil T, Dalal A, Halvorsen K, Cummings K, Su EP, Lyman S. Risk factors for acute nerve injury after total knee arthroplasty. Muscle Nerve. 2018 Jun;57(6):946-950. doi: 10.1002/mus.26045. Epub 2018 Mar 12. PMID: 29266269; PMCID: PMC5951729.

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