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Olecranon and prepatellar bursitis: treating acute, chronic, and inflamed
E G McFarland1, P Mamanee, W S Queale
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. emcfarl@jhmi.edu.
The Physician and Sportsmedicine
|January 21, 2010
Summary
Elbow and knee bursitis, presenting acutely or chronically, requires prompt evaluation. Treatment ranges from conservative measures and aspiration to antibiotics or surgery for severe cases.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Sports Medicine
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Bursitis of the elbow and knee is a prevalent condition affecting both athletes and the general population.
- It typically manifests in three distinct forms: acute, chronic nonseptic, and chronic infected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for elbow and knee bursitis.
- To differentiate management approaches based on the bursitis presentation.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical presentations of bursitis.
- Description of treatment modalities including aspiration, compression, padding, conservative therapy, corticosteroid injection, antibiotics, incision and drainage, and surgical excision.
Main Results:
- Acute bursitis often responds to aspiration, compression, and padding.
- Chronic nonseptic bursitis may be managed conservatively with occasional aspiration or corticosteroid injection.
- Infected bursitis necessitates aggressive evaluation, potential decompression, antibiotics to prevent septicemia, and rarely, incision and drainage.
Conclusions:
- Effective management of elbow and knee bursitis depends on accurate diagnosis of its presentation.
- Surgical intervention is reserved for refractory cases unresponsive to less invasive treatments.
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