Just started, horrible pain in shin below knee, any idea what it is about?

[subwayknees]

While I have posted quite a bit and think I know a fair amount about knee replacement surgery and chronic pain management this one is new to me.
I don't know if there is a connection but two and a half weeks ago I had an abcess in one of my teeth.  My dentist called my orthopedist and they decided on the best antibotic to use since I have a prosthetic knee.
The infection is gone and the tooth extracted on Monday.
Since then I have been experiencing a totally new pain, abouth three or four inches down from the dead center of my knee, straight down below the patella.

It is not constant, but throbbing and stings and when it starts it is very painful and tends to break through the morphine I use daily.

I am very tuned into pain having kept pain logs for my pain mamagment docs for several years. I have never had this type of pain before.  I have a consult for my overall situation with a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon next Friday and will mention it.  I do not think a tooth infection could seed that rapidly into the bone but also cannot find any information on this type of pain on the net.
I have heard some people who have had revision surgery with the revised prothesis having a very long tibial stem complain about shin pain, but the knee I have had for the past ten years which is now loose at the tibial plate has a rather short stem as it is a primary knee.
Would like to get an idea if anyone has had this type of pain in this area, or has any idea what I may be dealing with.
Thanks

[Suejs14]

Hey, SWknees, we're on different paths (I'm a fx patella), but just yesterday I began experiencing a similar intense pain - below the knee - where it almost feels like a bad bone bruise.  It flared when I would walk or put weight on the leg.  The only thing I've been doing differently is leg presses - but my PT doesn't think it's related.  I noticed increased swelling and have returned to more regular icing - which has helped a great deal.  I don't know if it's muscle or ligament attachments that became inflamed - but it makes walking nearly impossible when flaring.

I'm taking tomorrow off from rehab/PT to leg the leg cool down to see if it helps.  Keep me posted on what you hear as well.  I agree yours is unlikely to be tooth related - but if the area of pain is inflamed and warm to the touch, I'd probably want to have it looked at sooner than later.  Good luck.

Sue JS

[subwayknees]

Dear suejs,  no swelling, no redness,  I was one told by one of the cadre of orthopods I have seen that the inner part of the prosthesis can actually have an infection directly on the metal which will grow rapidly and is hard to detect.  Don't know if he was right on that.  But I do not think it is infected however after 12 surgeries several for infection I would not be 100% sure.  My shin  hurts on and off, and no relationship to the few steps i take a day off my scooter or power wheelchair.
Will be seeing the new sports medicine doc this Friday and this is just one more thing added to my written list to bring up to him.
I have been experiencing more pain the past few weeks hard to get below 8 on the pain scale even with high doses of morphine and my leg does not even want to support me the short time I walk with my cane in my house, just to get out of the power chair...Thanks for your thoughts

[Suejs14]

Hi SWKnees, sorry for your chronic pain.  It can surely be emotionally debilitating as well as physically.  There are so many on this board who are amazing knee warriors when it comes to the obstacles you all have faced.  I'm in awe of your courage and generosity of spirit to be there for us mini-knee folks.

Good luck with your appt on Friday.