Knee Bursitis FAQs

What is Bursitis of the Knee?

Bursitis of the knee is inflammation of small collections of fluid in and around the knee joint known as bursae. These are normal anatomical findings and their purpose is to help facilitate fluid and smooth movement of tendons, muscles and fascia between one another and the knee joint. When these small pockets of fluid become inflamed, they will typically get larger and become tender. They may also cause pain with ambulation, weight bearing or even certain specific movements depending on the bursa affected.

What causes Bursitis in the Knee?

There are a great many different causes of knee bursitis that can range from the less serious such as idiopathic causes, underlying osteoarthritis, repetitive straining of the muscle or joint around which the bursa is located and simple muscle fatigue to the more serious such as infection, rhabdomyolysis, local trauma and potentially even undiagnosed malignancy. Fortunately, the most serious causes are exceptionally rare and the vast majority of bursitis cases are caused by less serious diagnoses.

What are the symptoms of Bursitis of the Knee?

Bursitis tends to present typically as pain in and around the knee. The pain is usually a burning sensation in nature, although it can be felt sharply in certain areas. The best way to differentiate bursitis pain from generalized muscle or joint pain such as from osteoarthritis is try and localize the pain to a specific area around the joint.

Pain that localizes to a specific area is much more likely to appear as a result of bursitis, especially if the area that is localized is known to have a bursa directly underneath the point of maximal tenderness (e.g. the pes anserine bursa, the prepatellar bursa). Osteoarthritis pain is much more generalized and far more difficult to localize with the patients typically describing this as more of a global sensation around the whole joint itself rather than pinpointing it to a specific spot.

Activity and weight bearing will typically worsen the pain experienced from bursitis, especially activity of the muscles that directly interact with or are directly adjacent to the culpable bursa. For example, a prepatellar bursitis will worsen with extension and flexion of the knee joint and activation of the quadriceps/hamstring mechanism whereas pes anserine bursitis will be specific to flexion of the knee, in particular the hamstrings, and be localized to the anteromedial aspect of the joint.

How to treat Bursitis of the Knee?

First line treatment for any kind of bursitis should be cessation of the offending activity for a short period of time. If the bursitis does not self-resolve when returning to said activity, then over-the-counter nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs should be trialed if the patient is able to tolerate them. These will fight against the inflammation that is present in the bursa and will reduce it, thereby reducing the patient’s pain.

If this is not effective or only effective for a short period of time, the next line of treatment would be to trial a corticosteroid injection directly into the bursa itself. This is typically not necessary in the majority of patients and is reserved only for those who have symptoms refractory to activity modification and oral or topical antiinflammatory drugs.

For patients with persistent bursitis that is refractory to all of the aforementioned, there is a surgical option to undergo a bursectomy, although this is rarely performed and is typically not necessary due to the very small number of patients who do not respond to any of the aforementioned interventions.

How long does Knee Bursitis take to heal?

Most patients should notice that the bursitis settles down within several weeks, whether this is due to the activity modification or whether this is due to the commencement of a course of antiinflammatory medication. If neither of these are effective after 3 or 4 weeks then consideration of an injection should be given.

If the patient does wish to proceed with injection as an intervention then typically these injections will take several days to become effective and should provide significant pain relief that will hopefully be semi-permanent in nature (i.e. may very well relieve the pain in its entirety, although there is a small risk that the bursitis will return with repeated activity in the future).

How many bursas are there in the knee?

There are multiple bursas around the knee. The most important of them are the prepatellar bursa, infrapatellar bursa and pes anserine bursa. These are most commonly involved in the inflammation and the swelling. They can be caused due to daily activities like kneeling or may be caused due to pathology in the knee leading to bad biomechanics around the knee.

They can be treated usually with RICE that is rest, ice, compression and elevation along with anti-inflammatory medications. They can also be treated with cortisone shot if not improved. The patient should see a physician if the pain is not relieved with over-the-counter medications.

Can you get gout in the knee?

Gout can affect multiple joints of the body and knee and ankle are among the common ones that can be involved. Gout is usually treated with medications which is provided by the primary care physician. If the knee is severely involved and is not relieved with medications, then the patient should seek treatment with a sports physician.

What is pes bursitis of the knee?

Pes bursitis or pes anserine bursitis or goose foot bursitis of the knee is an inflammation of the bursa around the three tendons on the inner side of the knee. This happens usually due to bad biomechanics of the knee particularly in osteoarthritis of the knee. It can be treated with medications along with rest, ice, compression and elevation.

If the pain is not relieved with over-the-counter medications and conservative measures, then the patient should seek physician attention. They can get cortisone injection also in the knee. Occasionally pes bursitis may be caused due to pathology inside the knee which may need attention and management.

Can knee bursitis be cured?

Knee bursitis can usually be cured with conservative means including medication and cortisone injection. Mostly patients with bursitis get good relief with these measures.

What is bursitis of the knee feel like?

Bursitis of the knee usually presents with localized pain along with swelling which may or may not be worsen with activity. It may affect the gait of the patient.

Is knee brace good for bursitis?

Knee brace can be used in patients with bursitis as it gives compression and thereby decreases the swelling and the pain due to bursitis. It can prevent recurrence of bursitits.

Is heat or cold better for bursitis?

In acute onset cases ice is better for the first two to three days to relieve pain. If the bursitis is longstanding, then heat usually gives better results than ice. In some cases, patients may have preferential benefit with ice and heat and should try using that.

How do you treat bursitis of the knee?

Bursitis of the knee is usually treated with anti-inflammatory medications along with compression with sleeve. The patient can also use physical modality like ice or heat to relieve pain. If the pain is not improved with these measures, then prescription medication as well as cortisone injection with or without aspiration can help in decreasing the pain and swelling.

What is patellar bursitis?

Patellar bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa in the front of the knee cap. It is usually found in people who are involved in kneeling activities like housemaids, technicians, plumbers. It presents with pain and swelling in the front of the knee cap. It is usually treated with compression and anti-inflammatory along with ice or heat. If the patient is not relieved, then the fluid from the bursa can be aspirated and the cortisone injection can be given which may help in early healing of the bursitis. The patients are also asked to avoid activities lie kneeling that may cause recurrence of the bursa.

Is bursitis a form of arthritis?

Bursitis is not a form of arthritis but may be caused as a secondary presentation of arthritis. Most of the times when arthritis is controlled, bursitis usually resolves itself.

What is septic bursitis?

Septic bursitis means inflammation of the bursa caused due to micro-organisms like bacteria. It presents with pain, swelling, redness, and may also have fever and chills. These patients should seek urgent attention for management. The patient may need antibiotic according to the sensitivity. The patient may need surgical treatment to clean up the bursa and eradicate the infection.

What is the function of bursa?

Bursa is usually present between the skin and the bone to allow easy gliding of the skin over the bone due to the fluid filled in the bursa. This fluid is in minimal quantity and allows proper gliding of the skin or the bone. It is present in all places where the bone is directly underneath the skin.

Can the bursal sac be removed surgically?

The bursal sac can be removed surgically in patients who have recurrent bursitis or have septic arthritis and are not improved with medication. This procedure is called bursectomy and has a good success rate.

Is there risk in removing the bursa?

The risks for removing a bursa are usually the same as of any minor surgery. Occasionally the patient may have recurrence of the bursa and may need prolonged treatment for the management.

What is the bump below my knee?

A bony bump just below the knee usually is a tibial tuberosity where the patellar tendon from the knee cap inserts. It acts as a point of stress because all the forces from quadriceps are passed through the patellar tendon on to the leg. It may be enlarged in patients of Osgood-Schlatter disease in which there is hypertrophy of the tibial tuberosity which is usually found in teenagers.

What is the Housewives knee?

Housewives knee or Housemaid’s knee is usually the inflammation of the prepatellar bursa. These patients are involved in kneeling activities due to their profession or work and have caused inflammation and irritation of the prepatellar bursa causing it to be inflamed.

What is the Baker’s cyst on the back of the knee?

Baker’s cyst is outpouching of the synovial lining of the knee joint. Occasionally when the patient has fluid in the knee, the fluid may track outside into this outpouching causing it to collect the fluid and swell up that can be felt as a soft swelling of the back of the knee. It is usually treated by the management of the pathology that causes the formation of the fluid as well as aspiration of the fluid from the knee joint. Rarely the Baker’s cyst just needs a surgery to remove it.

What is infrapatellar bursitis?

Infrapatellar bursitis is inflammation of the bursa that is present below the knee joint. This bursitis is also called clergyman bursitis and is usually found in clergies due to the way that they stand on their knees.

Can I work out while having knee bursitis?

Knee bursitis if under control or being managed actively by physician can allow the patient to gentle workouts. The patient can involve in exercises which are not worsening the pain and swelling of the knee. If any specific exercise worsens the pain, then it should be avoided.

How effective are cortisone shots for pes anserine bursitis of the knee?

Cortisone shots do help in decreasing the pain and swelling of the pes anserine bursitis of the knee. Most of the time the bursitis is secondary to pathology inside the knee which may also need to be taken care so as to prevent the recurrence of the bursitis.

These questions have been personally answered by:

I am Vedant Vaksha, Fellowship trained Spine, Sports and Arthroscopic Surgeon at Complete Orthopedics. I take care of patients with ailments of the neck, back, shoulder, knee, elbow and ankle. I personally approve this content and have written most of it myself.

Please take a look at my profile page and don't hesitate to come in and talk.

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00:52 30 May 23
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00:24 30 May 23
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19:49 10 May 23
I'm very happy St. Catherine's sent me to this office for treatment after I broke my collar bone! Unfortunately the break was too severe to repair on its own and I had to have it rebuilt a week after the injury. Dr. Vaksha did a great job fixing it. I'm three months out, and I have full use of the arm and shoulder. The whole office staff is very professional, accommodating, and welcoming. I hope to not need orthopedic services again, but Dr. Vaksha will be my number one choice if I or anyone in family suffers such am injury.
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15:02 02 Mar 23
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21:23 25 Feb 23
Dr Vaksha was so kind and helpful. He took extra time with us and explained things so thoroughly. Highly recommend. Office very clean.
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20:20 19 Feb 23
Dr Vaksha, is a great doctor very professional knows what he talking about. Treat patient with upmost respect. Thank You
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16:46 19 Jan 23
Dr. Karkare is an amazing doctor, very caring and attentive, the girl at the front desk is very kind and helpful. .elizabeth .thank you so much .
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21:32 26 Oct 22
Been going to this place before my accident and after I had my knee surgery. So happy how I been treated and how well I am getting. Thank you all and specially Dr. VAKSHA for everything and getting back on track.
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19:01 25 Oct 22
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21:28 23 May 22
Dr Vaksha and Dr karkare are 2 of the best orthopedic doctors around my wife Susan had a very serious broken ankle in March of 2019 she didn't think she was going to walk again Dr vaksha did an excellent surgery on her ankle he said it was his toughest he ever did he put a lot of hardware in her ankle and told her she would be alright she made remarkable recovery thanks to his surgery as of now she regained 100 percent use of her ankle she would highly recommend him to anyone. My own experience with Dr karkare has been wonderful he takes his time with you listens to what you have to say and prescribes various treatments and is very caring I would highly recommend him to anyone I would give both doctors a 10 plus rating we are very happy with them the best.
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23:31 19 May 22
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The staff is very professional and helpful. Dr. Vaksha is excellent. He takes time to listen and offer suggestions to help you get better. I’m very thankful and happy to be a patient here at Complete Orthopedics.
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19:54 16 May 22
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23:17 12 May 22
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19:37 09 May 22
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19:54 05 May 22
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20:01 28 Apr 22
Amazing team!! Very caring, profesional, and friendly!! Dr. Kevin Kuo, you are the best, very passionate, caring, and helping thank you for getting me better and being so kind to me! Elizabeth you the best thank you for you help always and you big smile and positive actitud❤️🙏🏼
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03:25 09 Apr 22
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22:45 05 Apr 22
This was my 1st time breaking something in my 27 years on this planet. I was recommended here by a friend Dr. Vashka helped me from day 1 and still continues to check in on me and my healing ankle. Would highly recommend
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16:06 01 Apr 22
Brand new office, same great doctors! Rooms are clean, plenty of parking, physical therapy attached, Dr. Karkare and his staff are awesome. Thank you!
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02:49 24 Mar 22
Dr.VAksha is the best, I love the way he treats me as his patient, he is caring,understanding and very attentive to my needs
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14:53 03 Mar 22
Great staff. Dr. Vaksha is awesome and takes the time to listen to his patients. He is very compassionate. I would highly recommend this office.
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01:24 23 Feb 22
After suffering from a severe ankle injury Dr. V was able to help me heal and return back to work completely to a job where I stand for 12 hours a day. The office is very clean and I appreciated the reminders of my appointments via phone call and through text. The patient portal made it easy for me to access all my documents including work notes. The office staff is wonderful and Rebecca was able to schedule me with a busy schedule and awesome at answering all of my questions including referring me to a great physical therapy office. I highly recommend this office to anyone who’s looking for knowledgeable and kind orthopedic office.
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21:31 28 Jan 21
The staff here are great, I was seen at the time of my appointment and was well taken care of!
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18:14 07 Jan 21
They are an excellent practice. The front and back office people are amazing and so helpful. Rebecca is such a kind and understanding person. I had an issue with paperwork and she cleared it right up. Dr. Karkare is very knowledgeable, helpful, and caring.
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19:31 18 Nov 20
Rebecca K. - What a true burst of sunshine. Very friendly and definitely an asset to the practice!
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18:17 17 Nov 20
Great experience, the Doctor is nice but the staff is incredible. I worked with Linda, who was profession and assisted me beyond what any person has done at other practices. Complete Ortho should be complimented for having such a person on their staff.I highly recommend this place!!!
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17:26 17 Nov 20
Linda and Becca they are so good ever time I come they are very nice I would tell everyone I no to come to this office..
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16:45 17 Nov 20
I was rear ended in an auto accident , Dr Vashka was recommended by a friend of mine .I was experiencing Back , neck , and shoulder pain . After a thorough examination and given exercises to do at home , I am feeling much better , and I ended up avoiding surgery . The staff at Complete Ortho is extremely attentive and show great care when making an appointment and are very friendly and i never waited more than 5 minutes for my appointment . So I would strongly recommend Complete Orthopedics for any aches and pains that one might be experiencing.....
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04:44 17 Nov 20
It was the afternoon of Friday Sept. 24. We were in Pt. Jefferson and my wife, Mary Ann, broke her hip. We went to Mather Hospital and it was determined that she would have to have an operation to have it repaired. This would be her third time under the knife in the past year. It just so happened that we were very fortunate enough to have Dr. Karkare, who was on standby, perform the surgery. He put in a rod and two screws in her hip. She spent a few days in the hospital and then went to Gurwin rehabilitee for another few weeks.It has now been almost six weeks and we both worked the election the other day. If it wasn’t for Dr. Karkare’s expertise she never would have been able to work. She is able to walk with a walker and is doing physical therapy three times a week.We can not thank the doctor enough for the compassion and dedication that he puts into his work. It allows Mary Ann do the things that she likes to do, even on a limited basis for a while. I know that with her will, perseverance and the great work that the surgeon performed she will be back on her feet in no time.Sincerely:John V. PlumpEast Northport, NY 11731
Jack Harris
14:36 06 Nov 20
In the year of 2018 I was referred to Dr. Karkare because I was experiencing severe knee joint pain. After exhausting physical therapy and trying to labor through the pain, I had to make a quality of life decision. Total knee replacement was the only viable option. Dr. Karkare made my decision easy as he walked me through the whole process from surgery to recovery.On 12/13/19 ( Friday the 13th) I enter Lenox Hill Hospital in great hands. From the time I entered Dr. Karkare’s office for the first time until now, his staff has been amazing. Andrea the medical coordinator walked me through all the paper work and necessary preparations for the surgery. Courtesy and kind would be an understatement. Dr. Karkare went over and beyond from the wellness checks and phone calls all to assure me that I was important to him. This was the right decision no pain and no limp. Complete Orthopedics should be your choice!
Kenneth Randolph
22:18 25 Sep 20
Dr. Vadshka has a great bedside manner. He really takes his time and explains treatment options.
T Lee
12:33 09 Sep 20
I suffered with pain in both knees for years. My orthopedic doctor kept recommending knee replacement . I fought it for years, as I was just afraid. When I had no choice and could barely walk , it was recommended I see Dr. Karkare. We set up a consultation and my wife and I left his office feeling totally confident and comfortable with moving ahead with the surgery. He explained everything to us, and the office staff set everything up for us and made the process easy. So about one month after our initial meeting I had the first knee done. I was up walking mere hours after the surgery, and on the workout machines the next morning. I went home two days after the surgery, and yes walked my daughter down the aisle at her wedding only one week after the surgery without even a cane! Three months later I had the other knee done and went home the very next day. Dr. Karkare put my fears to rest . I would highly recommend him. His expertise gave me my life back. Thank you Dr. Karkare.SincerelyVito Congro
Ethel Congo
23:58 12 Aug 20
Dr Rhodin really cares for his patients. When I see him he makes sure to review my progress in detail.
Micki Cahill
15:03 08 Feb 20
My mom had a total hip replacement by dr karkare. He is the BEST orthopedic doctor.Her incision is almost invisable.She is going back for her other hip next week. The office staff is the best, love Andrea.You wont find a better doctor.
Ryan Brigandi
21:06 13 Jul 18
There is no better Orthopedic doctor you will find. Broke my ankle three places on a Saturday. Called Dr. Karkare. He had is team ready at the hospital and operated on me within 6 hours after my injury. Now After 3 months of great care by him and his staff, I am walking to normalcy.
Spacecom Tel
04:13 23 Mar 18
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