Sensory nerves detect sensations like pressure, light touch, and vibrations.
These small nerves are branches of larger nerves connecting the brain to all parts of the body.
Damage at any level of this connected pathway can lead to areas of abnormal sensation in the bodyincluding numbness.
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Duringknee replacement surgery, it’s common for nerves that run through the surgical site to become damaged.
This can result in numbness around the knee incision.
A traditional knee replacement incision is placed directly over the front of the knee.
This incision, called a midline incision, is the most common surgical approach for performing total knee replacement.
The length of the surgical incision can vary dramatically.
There is essentially no way to completely avoid the skinnerveswhen performing knee replacement surgery.
How Common Is Numbness?
That said, less than 10% of these people are bothered by this symptom.
Incisions based more towards the outer side of the joint tend to involve smaller nerve branches.
When only the smaller branches are cut, perceived numbness may be reduced.
The length of the incision is determined by the size of the patient’s leg and the underlying bone.
Regarding the difference noted in the perception of numbness between men and women, the reason is unclear.
Studies have not shown any gender difference in the orientation of the skin nerves.
Some perceived numbness might be due to differences in clothing.
Women specifically mentioned being bothered when wearing skirts or dresses that tended to rub against incisions.
Uncomfortable sensations may diminish over time, and there may be some recovery of normal sensation to the area.
Most people who notice symptoms of numbness find that the area gradually shrinks down over time.
Nerve recovery after damage and nerve regeneration are both very slow processes.
Complete recovery of all nerve sensations is unlikely.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
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