The bursae of the knee are small fluid filled sacs that serve as shock absorbers between the muscles, tendons and skin of the joint and the adjacent bones. Knee bursitis is the medical condition that occurs when these sacs become inflamed. The usual causes of this condition are falling onto the knee, a direct blow to the joint or extended kneeling or squatting. Symptoms of knee bursitis are pain, swelling and unusual warmth of the skin over the knee joint, especially on its inner side. Treatment of knee bursitis may be less of a priority than symptom management, since the condition tends to resolve itself. However, options such as pain killers, knee pads and even corticosteroids may be considered if the condition is very painful.
Risk factors for developing knee bursitis include extensive participation in a sport in which you frequently fall onto a knee. Having a job that require extensive kneeling or squatting can also increase your exposure risk. Third, if you are obese or suffer from knee osteoarthritis, you may also be at increased risk of developing knee bursitis.
As mentioned, this condition can have many causes, including:
As the diagram at the start of this article illustrates, there are different bursae in the knee joint. Your particular knee bursitis symptoms may differ depending on which bursae have been infected.
However, you can expect that the area over the affected bursae will feel warm and tender to the touch.You my also experience pain in the same area when you try to move your knee.
If you develop knee bursitis from a sudden event (like a blow to your knee) , the appearance of symptoms will be just as sudden,. However, in most cases, the condition develops gradually over time (e.g. from prolonged day to day kneeling), and the symptoms also appear gradually.
If you work in a job or play a sport that puts you at risk of developing knee bursitis, you can reduce the odds of developing it by:
To have your bursitis treated, you should visit a doctor. However, in most cases, the symptoms noted above will eventually disappear, so your doctor may focus on managing your pain rather than curing the condition in the normal sense.
Treatment options are:
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