I have pain behind my knee after knee surgery. Is that normal?

What is usually expected

After arthroscopy, ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair or knee replacement, fluid in the joint tracks to the back of the knee and creates a full, tight feeling. The hamstrings and calf may ache as you work on straightening the knee, and after an ACL reconstruction using a hamstring graft, the inner back of the thigh and knee is often sore for several weeks.

This kind of pain tends to improve week by week, eases with icing, elevation and your prescribed exercises, and is not accompanied by a swollen calf or a hot, red leg.

Warning signs that need urgent care

• One calf becomes swollen, firm, warm, red or tender, or the ankle swells more than the other side: same-day emergency assessment for a deep vein thrombosis
• Chest pain, breathlessness, coughing blood or fainting: call 999 immediately
• Fever, increasing redness, wound discharge or a hot, very swollen knee: contact your surgeon the same day, as this may be infection
• New numbness or weakness in the foot

Helping normal recovery

Follow the blood-clot prevention plan you were given, whether that is medication, stockings or both, and complete the full course. Move your ankles regularly, walk as advised, and avoid long periods sitting still. Keep up icing, elevation and your physiotherapy, especially exercises that restore full straightening, since a knee that stays bent keeps the back of the knee tight. Before any long flight in the weeks after surgery, ask your surgeon about clot prevention.

When to contact your surgeon in Doha

If pain behind the knee is getting worse rather than better, if you cannot regain straightening, or if you are unsure whether your symptoms are normal, contact your surgical team. Patients of Dr. Gelber at Aman Hospital can call the clinic to be reviewed. A Baker's cyst, scar tissue or a hamstring strain can all be checked with an examination and, if needed, ultrasound.