Olecranon bursitis is a condition in which the pointed bone at the tip of your elbow (the olecranon) becomes irritated and/or inflamed. As a result of this, the small sac of fluid (the olecranon bursa) at the tip of your elbow fills up with extra fluid.The result is usually a swelling (and sometimes pain) at the back of the elbow. This condition is alternatively referred to as elbow bursitis. It can happen either gradually over time or as the result of an instantaneous blow to your elbow.
To treat a case of olecranon bursitis, your doctor may extract the extra fluid from the olecranon bursa and send it for laboratory testing to determine if an infection is present. In other cases, your doctor will suggest that you temporarily refrain from activities that involve leaning on the tip of your elbow. This will allow the bursa to rest and recover naturally. In some case, surgery may be necessary to completely remove the injured bursa.
In general, olecranon bursitis can arise from one (or more) of four different causes:
Based on the causes enumerated above, the following situations can elevate your risk of developing elbow bursitis:
The signs and symptoms of olecranon bursitis are typically as follows:
If you do not take action to treat it, olecranon bursitis can cause infection to spread to other parts of your body. Should the infection get into your bloodstream, this can result in a serious and possibly even life threatening condition. As a result, if you experience any of the symptoms above, you should see your doctor for an examination.
To diagnose the cause of the condition, your doctor will physically examine your elbow. He or she may also want to know about recent falls or other accidents in which you hurt your elbow.
In addition to a physical examination, your doctor may request an X Ray scan of your elbow. This will be to look for foreign objects that may be present at the back of the elbow. Bone spurs in particular tend to be associated with elbow bursitis caused by infection.
If your doctor suspects the presence of an infection, (s)he may remove some of the fluid from the bursa with a needle and send it for laboratory testing. He or she may also request blood tests to check for the presence of an infection.
If your doctor suspects that your olecranon bursitis is due to an infection, (s)he may prescribe a general purpose antibiotic, pending the results of the lab analysis of the fluid extracted from your bursa. Should the lab results confirm that the bursa is infected, your doctor may then prescribe another antibiotic that is specifically designed to fight the type of infection the lab has found.
If, on the other hand, your bursitis is not due to an infection, your doctor may recommend that you:
If the above treatments do not work, your doctor may remove all of the fluid from the bursa using a needle. This process is called aspiration. He or she may then replace the fluid with a powerful anti inflammatory agent. This is usually done by way of a corticosteroid injection.
Should all the above treatments fail to heal your olecranon bursitis, your doctor may recommend surgery. This is usually done on an out patient basis. The surgeon will remove the entire bursa, leaving a new one to grow in its place in a few months’ time.
You should expect your surgical wound to take about 12-16 days to heal. After around 3-4 weeks, you should have regained normal use of your elbow.
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