bursitis

bursitis, inflammation of a synovial bursa, the lubricating sac located around joints or between tendons and muscles or bones. Bursitis may be caused by infection or injury, by arthritis or gout, by calcium deposition along a tendon or joint, or by minor, usually repetitive irritation. Hence, risk factors for bursitis include jobs or hobbies that involve repetitive movements or that apply pressure to specific bursa (e.g., kneeling), older age, and preexisting medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, gout, rheumatoid arthritis).

The most common form of bursitis affects the shoulder and is caused by calcium deposits and inflammation of the rotator tendon in the upper arm, spreading into the bursa above the shoulder joint. Bursitis of the shoulder may be extremely painful, making it impossible to raise the affected arm. Bursitis also commonly affects the knee (e.g, “housemaid’s knee”), the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle (“soldier’s heel”), the elbow (“tennis elbow”), and the bottom of the pelvis (“weaver’s bottom”). Other forms of bursitis include pes anserine bursitis, which affects the bursa of the same name at the inside of the knee, and various types of foot bursitis, such as retrocalcaneal (at the back of the foot, just above the heel) bursitis and intermetatarsal bursitis, which involves bursa between the metatarsal bones in the foot.

Bursitis can be prevented with the use of knee pads and proper lifting technique and by maintaining a healthy weight, breaking up repetitive tasks with periods of rest, muscle strengthening, and muscle stretching. Treatment of bursitis includes rest, heat, mild exercise, corticosteroid injection into the affected bursa, and medications that relieve inflammation and remove calcium deposits. Severe cases may require surgery to drain excess fluid.

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