Prevalence of knee bursitis in the workforce

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Epidemiology
• Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background:

• Knee bursitis (KB) is a prevalent musculoskeletal disorder.
• It is frequently associated with occupations requiring prolonged or repetitive kneeling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of knee bursitis (KB) within the general working population.
• To identify occupational risk factors associated with KB.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 3710 workers in a French region from 2002-2005.
• Standardized physical knee examinations and self-administered questionnaires were used to diagnose KB and assess occupational exposures.
• Diagnostic criteria for KB included anterior knee pain/tenderness and bursal swelling/pain.

Main Results:

• The overall prevalence of knee bursitis was low, at 0.6% in men and 0.2% in women.
• Higher prevalence rates were observed in the construction (2.3%) and food/meat processing (1.4%) industries.
• Blue-collar workers exhibited a higher prevalence (0.8%) compared to other occupational categories (0.1%).

Conclusions:

• Knee bursitis prevalence is low in the general working population.
• Cases are concentrated among male workers, particularly those in physically demanding jobs with frequent kneeling.
• Occupational factors, such as heavy workloads and kneeling, are significant risk factors for knee bursitis.