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What is bursitis
Bursitis is an inflammation of the synovial bursa – the bursa, which is located under our skin. They are located in the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbmuscles, tendons, joints – where there is maximum tissue friction. With bursitis, exudate begins to accumulate in this “bag” – liquid. Depending on the causes of inflammation, it may contain blotches of blood, adipose tissue, etc.
“Bursitis of the knee joint is a symptom that can indicate an injury or a huge number of other diseases,” notes Dmitry Garkavi, traumatologist, orthopedist, candidate of medical sciences, head of the diagnostic and treatment department.
What you need to know about knee bursitis
| Symptoms | swelling in the knee area, pain, reddening of the skin, local fever |
| Treatment | immobilization, anesthetic ointments and gels, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics |
| Complications | abscess, phlegmon, purulent arthritis, sepsis |
| Which doctor treats | orthopedist |
Causes of knee bursitis in adults
There can be many reasons for the development of knee bursitis. The most common is trauma.
– Injury to the knee – direct or indirect – can cause inflammation. Direct, relatively speaking, is a blow to the knee. An indirect injury, when, for example, there is an abrupt stop, a turn of the torso, and at this moment the meniscus, ligaments of the joint, etc. are injured. With such injuries, the amount of inflammatory fluid in the joint may increase, and bursitis will develop, the specialist explains.
In addition to injuries, bursitis of the knee joint in adults provokes overweight and the constant wearing of weights. Both give increased stress on the knees, which is fraught with inflammation of the bursa.
Bursitis of the knee joint can be a symptom of other diseases, including gout, systemic lupus erythematosus – various autoimmune and rheumatological ailments.
Symptoms of knee bursitis in adults
An orthopedic surgeon lists the following signs by which knee bursitis can be identified:
- swelling of the knee joint;
- its increase in volume;
- limitation of flexion (most often), extension can be complete, but not flexion, since excess fluid inside the joint will interfere with its flexion;
- pain when bending;
- possible pain when walking.
Treatment of knee bursitis in adults
Treatment of bursitis of the knee joint is determined by the doctor based on the results of the diagnosis. Methods depend on how much fluid is near the joint and what its composition is.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis of bursitis of the knee joint is made, as they say, by touch – by palpation.
By touching the knee with their hands, the specialist can determine if there is a problem and how serious the situation is.
These studies will show how much fluid has accumulated near the joint and how it is placed under the skin.
– If the volume of fluid is large, we do a puncture of the joint. It is carried out under conditions of complete sterility. We pierce the skin, joint capsule and remove excess fluid to relieve symptoms, reduce pain, increase range of motion. We look at its composition, whether there is blood there, whether there are inclusions of fat or not, all this will indicate what could lead to this condition, ”explains orthopedic doctor, traumatologist Dmitry Garkavi.
Modern treatments
According to the specialist, the treatment of knee bursitis depends on the amount of fluid that has accumulated under the skin:
- if there is a lot of fluid near the joint, it is removed by making a puncture;
- if there is little fluid, the doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by mouth.
Treatment for knee bursitis also includes
- immobilization – restriction of the joint in movement or unloading, in other words, the use of a cane in the process of walking, so as not to strain the diseased limb;
- physiotherapy, lymphatic drainage techniques that will help improve the outflow of blood from the site of inflammation, but they have their own indications and contraindications.
Prevention of knee bursitis in adults at home
- try not to get knee injuries;
- avoid a strong load on the knee joint, if this is not possible, then do a warm-up beforehand, warm it up;
- if you suffer from autoimmune and rheumatological ailments, follow the doctor’s instructions.
Popular questions and answers
We asked about knee bursitis orthopedist, traumatologist Dmitry Garkavi.