The "Knee Surgery" Meme on Social Media Actually Has Nothing To Do About a Surgical Procedure

We live in a world where memes, gifs, and viral videos make the rounds in different waves. And those who saw the "knee surgery" meme in 2023 immediately recognized it when it made a comeback on TikTok in late 2024. But does the knee surgery meme mean and where, exactly, did it even originate from?

Some memes pop up, seemingly out of thin air, and eventually fade back into existence. Such is the way of the internet, after all. The meme that says "that feeling when knee surgery is tomorrow," however, appears to refuse to die out again. The only problem is, for as many people as there are that are using it on TikTok and other social media platforms, no one is really sharing what they believe it means. But it does have an apparent origin that clears things up a bit.

The meme about getting knee surgery tomorrow is in reference to being nervous about something happening tomorrow or in the near future. Knee surgery is, of course, one example of something to be worried or anxious about, but the meme itself can pertain to almost anything else that brings about anxiety ahead of time.

Of course, just because we have that explanation, it doesn't mean that it explains how this even became a thing. Luckily, one user on TikTok commented on one of the many knee surgery meme videos to share the origins of the meme. At least, according to them.

"The original photo originated a few years ago, when someone was texting another person and they sent a meme 'that feeling when knee surgery is tomorrow' they posted it on either Twitter or Reddit," the user commented on the TikTok. "And because of its absurdity, it was popularized in [s--tposts]. And someone on TikTok posted a video displaying the 'that feeling when knee surgery is tomorrow.' And its gained in popularity since then."

OK, so now that we know what the knee surgery meme means and where it came from — allegedly — what does it have to do with the Grinch? The anti-Christmas character is often shown in the meme with a mischievous grin, but it doesn't seem like he actually has anything to do with the idea behind the meaning of the meme.

And, while the meme can be used for the sake of any reason to be nervous, some TikTok users began posting it more frequently after the 2024 presidential election. This was in reference to them being nervous about the results. In that way, the idea behind being nervous about "knee surgery tomorrow" makes sense. Well, as much sense as a random meme can make, anyway.