Clicking, Popping & Clunking After Knee Replacement — Is It Normal?

Yes — clicking, popping, or a metallic clunk after a knee replacement is usually normal. It’s the sound of the implant’s metal and plastic surfaces moving against each other, and it’s most noticeable early, when the muscles are weak and the knee is still swollen. It typically quiets down over the first several months as strength returns and swelling drops. It’s worth a call to your surgeon when the noise comes with pain, a feeling that the knee is giving way, or new swelling.

If your new knee sounds like it has a soundtrack, here’s what’s actually happening.

Why a new knee makes noise

A knee replacement swaps your worn joint surfaces for metal and plastic (polyethylene) components. Unlike cartilage, those surfaces are hard and smooth — so when they glide, bend, or seat into position, they can click, snap, or clunk. You’re hearing normal mechanics of the implant, not something breaking.^[1]

Early on, two things make it louder:

• Weak muscles. Until the quad and surrounding muscles rebuild, the knee is less controlled through its arc, so surfaces move more abruptly.
• Swelling and tight tissue. A swollen, stiff knee moves differently — and you notice every sensation more.

Why it usually fades

As you get stronger and the swelling settles over the first weeks to months, most people notice the noise softens or disappears. Staying with your physical therapy is the direct fix — the stronger and better-controlled the knee, the quieter and smoother it moves.^[1-1]

Controlling that early swelling helps too. Steady cold compression therapy calms the inflammation and pumps fluid away from the joint,^[2] and a knee that’s less swollen simply moves more smoothly — which is the same reason it hurts less. (More on the swelling timeline in how long does swelling last after knee replacement →.)

When it’s normal — and when to call your surgeon

Usually normal	Call your surgeon if
Painless clicks, snaps, or a clunk as you bend, straighten, or shift weight.	The noise comes with pain each time.
Noise that’s most obvious in the first weeks and eases as you get stronger.	The knee catches, locks, or gives way (instability).
Sounds without any change in how stable or swollen the knee feels.	New swelling, warmth, or redness shows up alongside the noise.
—	The clunking is new and getting worse rather than better over time.

Where WRS Group fits

WRS Group provides Game Ready cold + compression to surgical patients, with 60,000 patients treated — controlling the early swelling that makes a new knee feel and sound stiffer. If you’re setting up your recovery, reach out to WRS Group directly.

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Frequently asked questions

Is clicking after a knee replacement normal?
Usually, yes. It’s the metal and plastic implant surfaces moving together, and it’s most noticeable early while muscles are weak and the knee is swollen.

Why does my knee replacement pop or clunk?
The hard implant surfaces click or snap as they glide and seat into position — different from the soft cartilage you had before. It’s normal mechanics, not damage.^[1-3]

Will the clicking go away?
For most people it softens or disappears over the first several months as strength returns and swelling drops. Physical therapy is the direct fix.^[1-4]

When should I worry about noise in my knee replacement?
Call your surgeon if the noise comes with pain, a sense of the knee giving way, or new swelling, warmth, or redness.

Does controlling swelling help?
A less-swollen knee moves more smoothly and hurts less. Cold plus compression helps control that early swelling;^[2-1] in a survey of 2,060 WRS Group patients, 70% reported using fewer opioids during recovery.^[3]

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References

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1. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (OrthoInfo). Total Knee Replacement — implant, recovery, and warning signs. https://www.orthoinfo.org/en/treatment/total-knee-replacement/↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎
2. Block JE. Cold and compression in the management of musculoskeletal injuries and orthopedic operative procedures: a narrative review. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2010;1:105–113. PMID: 24198548.↩︎↩︎
3. WRS Cold Compression Scores — patient-reported outcomes survey, n = 2,060 (WRS Group internal data, 2026).↩︎