What is knee bursitis
The knee bursitis, called prerotulea, is the consequence of an inflammation of the prepatellar serous bursa placed anteriorly and distally by the patella.
Even acute traumatic situations, such as a strong blow to the knee, can cause a local hemorrhage which penetrates the bag irritating and inflaming it (in this case we speak of acute traumatic bursitis).
For these reasons, knee bursitis occurs more frequently in contact sports such as football, wrestling, rugby, volleyball and artistic gymnastics. In all these cases it can be prevented simply by adopting safety devices such as padded knee pads.
If the injury is also associated with a skin lesion, germs (staphylococci) present on the skin can infect the bag. In this case there is talk of septic bursitis.
BURSITIS
The bags are serous pockets filled with a lubricating liquid. These bags allow the sliding without friction of the tendon over the joint. Normally the bags are filled with a thin film of liquid but in particular conditions they can ignite, attracting fluids inside them. This bulge is called bursitis.
Diagnosis
Usually the diagnosis of bursitis is made through an objective (or clinical) examination evaluating the patient's symptoms. Diagnostic investigations such as radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging are not normally necessary but can be carried out to exclude any complications (osee fractures)
Symptoms
Knee bursitis is one of the most common causes of swelling and pain in this joint.
The most frequent symptom of the disease is in fact the palpable swelling above the patella, often associated with limited mobility of the joint, redness and local heat. Kneeling, movement and palpation tend to aggravate painful symptoms.
Care
Treatment of knee bursitis differs according to the causes of origin. For acute traumatic bursitis it is very important to immediately cool the area to control the bleeding (4 daily packs of 5-20 minutes for the first 2-3 days). Later it is important to apply a compression bandage which, combined with the rest of the joint, allows healing in about seven days.
Recurrent knee bursitis, as we have seen, is caused by small traumas repeated over time. For this reason it tends to become chronic, making healing more difficult. Also in this case it is advisable to repeat the same treatment seen for traumatic bursitis (RICE: ice, bandage / compression, rest, elevation). Often, however, these measures are not sufficient and the doctor can perform local cortisone injections associated with aspiration of the excess fluid or resort to a small surgical removal operation.
To learn more: Drugs for Bursitis Care »
Septic bursitis, sometimes associated with fever, requires in addition to general measures (RICE) the use of antibiotics (usually intravenously) and accurate hygiene rules to combat infection. In these cases the doctor may decide to aspirate some liquid to perform laboratory investigations and, possibly, suggest surgery for surgical removal.
Infrarotulea bursitis: it affects the small bag located below the distal tract of the patellar tendon, in correspondence of the anteroprossimal tract of the tibia. Much rarer pathology than the previous one can be caused by the presence of a bone fragment, or by a residual complication of Osgood-Shattler disease. The pain is therefore localized in the lower part of the knee and the treatment, often conservative, is completely similar to that of the prerotuleal bursitis.
To learn more: Bursitis
