very tender shin

[eleanor7]

Well I am officially 12 days post -op and overall things are going quite well. I have full extension, and am at 127 flex. I am done with crutches and went back to work on Monday. I still take Ibuprofin on a regular basis but am done with the pain meds. My leg is still pretty ugly - lots of bruising, but the swelling has gone down significantly.

Here's my question - My shin and ankle are very (very, very, very) tender. Even just touching the area lightly is painful, and I don't remember that being the case with my last op. Has anyone else had this problem and how long did it last??

thanks

[thatnuttyhazel]

My shin was really tender following my ACL surgery.  I didn't have any pain around the ankle but the entire shin (from knee to ankle) did hurt when touched and if I remember correctly it last a couple of weeks.  It gradually wore off.  I don't think it's anything to be too worried about though as long as it goes away after awhile. 

[ergal55]

Getting on and back to work off crutches is like amazing is it not?  I am a couple maybe 5 days behind you. MY WEEK anniversary is today. My knee aches, i am to be in cpm machine for 2 more weeks and my locked brace for 3 more. I dont know if i could return to work this way. I am still taking an occassional vicodin but i have to say that motrin really helps too.  I dont know how many of the knee people here go back that fast to thier jobs off crutches and stuff. I am so scared to wreck my graft... whew.. good job and shins hurt from the procedure. did you see bedders you tube video.  good luck with the shin
ergal55

[jinn]

My ankle started to bruise after a week and it made walking a little difficult, but it went away after a week. My shin felt bruised too although it didn't look so. I remember thinking maybe one of the doctors dropped some equipment on my shin during my surgery and didn't tell me.  Anyway, bruising feeling went away after about 2 weeks, I think. Now, it's just the numbing feeling on the outside of the shin.

Great job on your ROM! I was no where near there at 12 days post-op.

[shiney28]

Dont worry!!!!!! Ive had 3 ACLR's!!!! And every time ive had a tender shin and ankle, its annoying but is does go. Try not to let it affect your rehab exercises.

[zengirl]

Yes, the shin and ankle are excruciatingly tender. There was one stage where I had to kind of keep the leg constantly moving when standing up because it felt like agnoising pins and needles in the foot, ankle, and lower shin. This went away after a week. Another one of those funny things you get after an ACL to do with bruising and nerves being severed. Don't worry - it's normal.   

[ATsoccergirl]

As long as you are not having any neurological symptoms such as numbness or tingling, there is generally nothing to be worried about.  However if you having neuro symptoms, it's important that you report these to your surgeon.  Rarely, although it's much more common in soccer players, you can develop compartment syndrome after surgery. 

I had compartment syndrome following my revision which developed right around the two week mark.  I had severe pain with numbness down the front of my lower leg.  They did a pressure reading and found out that the intracompartental pressure was elevated, but not enough to warrent a fasciotomy.  It was treated conservatively and eventually went away.

As I mentioned above, it is much common in soccer players, because they tend to have constricted compartments due to scarring from the constant hits they take on the shins.  Before my surgeon released me, I got a very stern lecture about the importance of proper shinguards (newspaper, and road maps don't count anymore!)

[eleanor7]

Thanks everyone - I feel better knowing that this is not so unusual. Interesting about compartment syndrome, although I haven't really played (just coaching) in a number of years, I have taken my fair amount of hits to the shin.

Jinn - that's exactly how it feels - like the Dr. left something in there, and my ankle is very black and blue.

Still not ready to look at the youtube video - not that brave.

thanks again everyone

[Tree Green]

I'm 10 months post ACL hamstring graft and still have a strange dent about 4 inches below my knee on the outer side, just above my shin.  It's still sore to touch and feels like it's had a chunk dug out where the front shin muscle (whatever that's called) joins on to the bone.  But its on the other side to my incision scar!  Who knows what they did in there?!

Still have a numb patch on the front just under my knee which tingles a bit, and I have to be careful shaving my legs because I can't feel anything there!

So shin pain is pretty normal I think.  After seeing that video, it's no wonder I suppose!  Don't watch it yet!!

[vipre01]

Well I am officially 12 days post -op and overall things are going quite well. I have full extension, and am at 127 flex. I am done with crutches and went back to work on Monday. I still take Ibuprofin on a regular basis but am done with the pain meds. My leg is still pretty ugly - lots of bruising, but the swelling has gone down significantly.

Here's my question - My shin and ankle are very (very, very, very) tender. Even just touching the area lightly is painful, and I don't remember that being the case with my last op. Has anyone else had this problem and how long did it last??

thanks

I apologize for reviving such an old thread, but this is the only place on the internet that I have been able to discover that also describes the same post-OP surgery side effects.

I had ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, and cartilage restoration on 23 July. During surgery I also opted to receive a nerve block. I'm just shy of two weeks post-OP and while my recovery is generally going well, I do have one pretty severe side effect still. On the leg I had surgery, the inside on my shin from just below my knee down to my ankle lacks any feeling from touch to the skin, but at the same time is hyper sensitive to touch and explodes in pain even when something as light as a blanket brushes against it. The outside of my shin and calf is unaffected.

I know what I've written sounds contradictory, but that is my reality. Lack of feeling at the surface level to touch, but it does result in massive pain to even the lightest of brushes against it. Has anyone else seen, read, or experienced this before? I had my first post-OP appointment with my surgeon yesterday and he said this was a first for him. I called the anesthesiologist today and he is unsure as well, but is bringing me in to evaluate me later this afternoon.

Again, apologies for reviving such an old thread, but this seems like such a rare side effect that I'm having trouble finding other people who have experienced a similar issue following knee surgery. I'm hoping someone here will have some insight.

[vickster]

Ask the anaesthesiologist if it could possibly the start of CRPS (aka RDS)?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crps-complex-regional-pain-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20371151

[vipre01]

Ask the anaesthesiologist if it could possibly the start of CRPS (aka RDS)?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crps-complex-regional-pain-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20371151

CRPS is the term both my attending doctors used when I spoke with them. My anesthesiologist went one step further, though, and contacted a pain management specialist in the area and he has since been brought into the loop. I unfortunately do not have any great news to share, but the one silver lining to all of this is that both my attending doctors believe my side effects should clear up as I heal. I still have significant bruising around the front side of my lower leg which night be contributing to my issue.

It's important to note that no one has any idea why I'm getting this side effect. I had a nerve block, my leg was in a tourniquet for 3 hrs, and my knee and surrounding areas experienced extensive trauma during the surgery. My side effect could be because of one thing or multiple things, but I'm hopeful it'll clear up over time.

That said, because no one is 100% certain about what I have, including the pain management doctor, everyone is taking a slow and cautious approach. I have been prescribed Gabapentin and 500 mg of vitamin C which I will begin taking today. I will meet with my surgeon in a week and a half for follow-up and depending on how my condition changes I will possibly be scheduled to meet face-to-face with the pain management doctor.

Hopefully what I've written will help anyone else who experiences a similar issue. I'll continue to update this thread moving forward, though.