Is Your Knee Replacement Pain Normal or a Sign of Nerve Damage? Take This Quiz to Find Out!

Putting It All Together

The pattern of your answers helps differentiate between normal recovery discomfort and potential nerve issues. If your results show multiple indicators of nerve involvement—particularly if you're beyond the six-month recovery period—your pain may benefit from the specialized care that Dr. Williams provides.

It's important to understand that experiencing nerve-related pain doesn't mean your knee replacement failed or that your orthopedic surgeon did something wrong. Nerve issues can occur even with perfect surgical technique, as the very nature of the procedure requires working in close proximity to important nerve structures.

Many patients experience significant relief when nerve issues are properly identified and addressed—even after months or years of persistent pain. Let’s take a look at what you can expect when you visit our office.

Initial Consultation

Your first visit with Dr. Williams focuses on understanding your complete pain story. This includes:

• A detailed discussion of your symptoms, when they started, and how they've changed over time
• Review of your surgical history and previous treatments
• Examination of all previous imaging studies
• A specialized physical examination focusing on nerve function
• Assessment of how your pain affects your daily activities and quality of life

Unlike standard orthopedic evaluations that focus primarily on the joint itself, this consultation is designed to identify nerve issues that may have been overlooked in previous assessments.

Specialized Diagnostic Procedures

Based on your initial consultation, Dr. Williams may recommend specific diagnostic procedures to confirm nerve involvement:

• Diagnostic nerve blocks. These targeted injections temporarily numb specific nerves to determine if they're contributing to your pain. If a nerve block provides significant relief, even temporarily, it helps confirm which nerve is causing your problem and suggests that surgical treatment might be beneficial.
• Sensory mapping. This detailed examination identifies patterns of numbness, hypersensitivity, or abnormal sensation that correspond to specific nerve distributions, helping pinpoint exactly which nerves are affected.
• Specialized imaging. When appropriate, Dr. Williams may order advanced imaging studies like MR neurography that specifically visualize nerve tissues and can identify compression or injury not visible on standard scans.

Customized Treatment Planning

If you have peripheral nerve damage, Dr. Williams will develop a surgical treatment plan tailored to your specific condition. This plan considers:

• Which specific nerves are involved
• The nature and severity of nerve damage
• Your overall health and medical history
• Your personal goals and priorities
• Previous treatments you've tried