Failed Knee Replacement

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Get Help For A Failed Knee Replacement Utilizing PEMF Therapy & HEIT Therapy

failed knee replacement treatment

The best way to stop from having issues from a failed knee replacement is to not get a replacement in the first place. You can do this by keeping your joints healthy, strong, and avoiding any traumatic events. The knee joint is the strongest joint in the body and its responsibility is to support the weight of the entire body while also withstanding the daily stress that we put our bodies through over a lifetime. 

Running through the park as children, the multiple sports played until teenage or adulthood, the 5Ks and marathons run for great causes, the countless falls, the hikes through the wilderness, and the infinite number of stairs climbed can be considered normal for most people. Unfortunately, all of these activities can lead to the knee joint being pounded and stressed in order to carry you on these fun and exciting journeys. 

The good news is, research shows that 82 percent of patients that have had the surgery will have a positive result. The knee joint is still working as designed 25 years later. If you're in the 18 percent that have issues, there's help to get you back to your normal activities again. 

What Leads To The Need For A Knee Replacement?

The knee joint relies on the articular cartilage, joint space fluid, and meniscus for support. Those materials keep the knee joint functional and healthy. But overtime, with a number of injuries and overuse stress throughout the span of a person’s life, the knee starts to wear and tear until the degenerative process starts to take place. 

At some point, in no particular order, the articular cartilage that covers the bone starts to fray and break, the fluid starts to dry up, and the meniscus starts to tear and break down. Eventually the bone will rub on the other bone creating a grinding sensation. Throughout the process, a person experiences knee pain with or without movement, the joint swells with activity, there is decreased motion and function, difficulty walking, then a decrease in activities of daily living. With all of these things eventually happening all at once, some type of treatment has to happen in order to live a normal life.

The Decision To Get A Knee Replacement Surgery

The decision to get a knee replacement has to be a very nervous decision to make. A moment where you are facing a surgeon who is describing a procedure where they will remove a part of the bone in your leg and replace it with an artificial one. This nervousness is likely soon replaced with eagerness and excitement with the thought that the pain and other symptoms you have been experiencing in the knee will be gone for good, or hope that’s the case. 

While most knee replacements function well for many years, there are times when there is failure of the replacement. No one wants to think about their replacement failing but this is a common event. This doesn't mean that the surgeon made any mistakes, there are a lot of things that can go wrong that are out of the surgeon’s hands once you start living your normal life with a prosthetic in your leg. 

$97 New Patient Special Offer

Step 1 Includes Consultation, Examination & Any Necessary X-rays. Step 2 Includes Doctor's Report Of Findings, First Chiropractic Adjustment & First Additional Therapy (decompression or PEMF)

How Our Care Plan Works

See Exactly What Is Wrong

You won’t be left guessing about your health. We start with a detailed consultation & physical exam, but the real difference is in our comprehensive digital X-rays. You'll see exactly what’s going on: where the spine is misaligned, how severe it is, and why you feel the way you do. Instead of vague explanations or guesswork, you’ll get clear answers that finally make sense of your symptoms & show the best path moving forward.

Achievable & Lasting Results

Your care shouldn’t feel overwhelming or impossible to follow. That’s why we build a personalized plan that works in the real world. We combine chiropractic adjustments, modern therapies, & simple at-home recommendations to help you correct posture, restore movement, & keep your results long after your visit. It’s a straightforward, achievable plan designed to create sustainable improvement—not quick fixes that fade a week later.

Be Able To Do Everything You Want To Do

Our goal goes beyond getting you out of pain—we want to help you get your life back. By addressing the root causes of your discomfort and giving your spine the long-term support it needs, we help you return to the activities that matter most: working without distraction, exercising with confidence, or simply moving through your day without hesitation. We’ll guide you through lasting changes so you can be free to do everything you love.

Services That Work Best For This Condition

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j. franco trevino
September 4, 2026
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this place is awesome!!
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Randee Rothman
September 2, 2026
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I recently started seeing Dr Hurtig at CORE Chiropractic. This place is amazing. From the first phone call to my continued visits, I find EVERYONE to be professional and friendly. At first, I was apprehensive about going to any chiropractor, but after I saw my x-rays and the pain that I was in, I knew that I needed help… I like how Dr Hurtig sat down with me and went over the x-rays, explaining everything in great detail and then sharing his plan of attack to address my issues… All I can say is kudos to this wonderful organization and with sincere THANKS
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Carol Lickwar
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Well organized, appts are on time, everyone is knowledgeable and friendly
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John Linton
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Decompression chair with swivel greatest thing since sliced bread for lower back relief. I'm no doc but it works for me.
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Beautiful team, great care , kind service and Dr.Nguyen is caring , patient and intentional
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Dr Cordova and the entire staff is extremely professional and on a scale from one to 10. I give them a 12. My back looked like San Francisco’s Lombard Street due to some recent injuries. We have maximum progress in the appropriate amount of time and I’m no longer walking on a cane. Thank you, Dr and thank you all
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I had a great experience with Dr. Vinh Nguyen as my chiropractor. He was very kind, professional, and took the time to listen to my concerns. He explained everything clearly and made me feel comfortable throughout the treatment. After my visit, I noticed significant pain relief and felt much better. I truly appreciate his care and expertise. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a knowledgeable and compassionate chiropractor. Thank you for helping me feel better!
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I had not been able to walk in weeks. I could not stand up for more than a few moments at a time. I could only lay down in a few positions. Soaking in hot water right after I woke up and before bed became a normal of my routine. I went to see another chiropractor on two separate occasions to no avail. And on a lovely Thursday I decided to go to CORE and my how has life been amazing. Later that day as I lay in bed doing some thinking about my visit with the PM&R doctor and as I went to get out of bed, I went to slide out of the bed as I had to do for weeks, I felt nothing. So I stood up, took a few steps, and nothing. Doing back flips inside and not wanting to jinx myself, I walked into my bathroom and as I approached the mirror, I glanced as if I was looking around the corner at a stranger engaged in something that doesn’t have anything to do with me. Once I made it to the mirror, I realized that the pain was gone. Dr. Nguyen, I Thank You.
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Thank goodness for CORE Chiropractic. I made an appointment on a whim thinking I just had pulled a muscle, and through my initial visit and X-rays I discovered much more. Dr Hurtig is so kind and truly gifted!! I look forward to every appointment and every time I come in the front of office staff is so warm and welcoming. The whole place runs like a well oiled machine and it’s really refreshing to see. Thanks you guys! 🫶🏽✨
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I’ve had a great experience at Core Chiropractic. I came in with neck and back pain, and I’ve already noticed a big improvement.Dr. Nguyen is knowledgeable, caring, and takes the time to explain everything & showing me exercises I can do at home to keep improving. Eduardo has also been incredibly helpful.The entire team is so kind, friendly, and welcoming. I wish I could mention all the ladies by name because they truly deserve it, but I’m terrible at remembering names! They always make every visit a pleasant experience. I highly recommend Core Chiropractic to anyone looking for quality care and a genuinely caring team.

What Leads To A Failed Knee Replacement?

Below, we’ll talk about knee replacement failures and some treatment options available to prevent knee surgeries in the first place. There are many ways that will be outlined and described below that can cause a knee replacement to fail. 

Listed complications behind knee replacement failures:

Increased pain - Likely the most common reason to get a knee replaced is the decrease in pain. Pain hinders the activities of daily living. The more pain you’re in the less fun you have doing the active things you enjoy. 

Decreased function - This involves being less active because your knee won’t functionally allow you to do them. There is no plan for a hiking trip if you can’t walk well. It’s also less likely that someone will go and see their favorite team play if climbing stairs/ ramps at the stadium are a problem.

degenerative knee pain

Joint instability - The feeling like your knee will “give out” when walking. The ligaments and tendons aren’t replaced. They are reattached to the new prosthetic. If the ligaments and tendons become weak, the knee is not stable enough to hold your weight. 

Joint stiffness - Decreased range of motion will limit your ability to be mobile and eventually cause compensation to other structures creating joint/muscular imbalances. 

Implant wearing - Overtime an implant can start to wear and become defective. The same surface that the bone the implant is anchored to can also start to wear. In these cases, the prosthetic can become loose in the and cause instability. Especially in situations where there is high levels of activity or increased stress on the replaced knee due to being overweight. Most surgeons will insist that a patient be at a certain weight before a knee replacement surgery is performed to prevent premature wearing of the implant.

Infection/Blood Clots/Fractures - Infection post surgical is also a common side effect of surgery, especially with implanting a foreign object. Infections can show up days to years after a surgery. Blood clots can form in the vessels following a major surgery. Compression sleeves are often recommended to prevent clots. Fractures can also occur to bones where the implants are located. In these cases, the symptoms should encourage you to seek medical help immediately and likely lead to emergency surgery. 

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Houston, TX 77056

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What Can You Do If You Have A Failed Knee Replacement?

Options of treatment for those patients with a failed knee replacement include:

Stretching and strengthening exercises -  As with any injury, especially after a surgery, a rehabilitation program is important to get proper range of motion back into the joint and strength back into the muscles of the leg. 

Chiropractic adjustments - adjustments to the pelvis utilizing a personalized chiropractic care program will help balance the pelvis which in turn allows an even distribution of weight to be placed in both knees. This eliminates the chance for muscle imbalances and wearing of the replacement due to abnormal stress.

PEMF therapy - patients typically see a big difference in pain levels, inflammation levels, and an overall decrease in the spasms and tightness around the knee following PEMF therapy sessions. This therapy is very comfortable, and works best when done consistently. PEMF sessions tend to build on each other, leading to a cumulative effect over time that leads to longer periods of time with decreased symptoms.

Revision surgery - In many of these cases when a knee replacement has already failed, a second surgery is warranted. The risks are usually higher regarding infections, but the revisional surgery itself should yield better function. 

$97 New Patient Special Offer

Step 1 Includes Consultation, Examination & Any Necessary X-rays. Step 2 Includes Doctor's Report Of Findings, First Chiropractic Adjustment & First Additional Therapy (decompression or PEMF)