A bursa is a fluid filled sac that sits between muscles/tendons and the bone.  The bursa helps to reduce frictions between the different structures, and allows for continuous, smooth movement without injury to the involved structures.  However, the bursa can become irritated and inflamed causing issues.  Because of the inflammatory nature of this condition, there can be observable swelling around the affected area. There are eleven bursaes around the knee joint and each could pose a problem.  However, the most commonly affected bursaes are the ones located in the front of the knee. This can be caused by many factors, but some of the more common mechanisms of injury are: prolonged or repeated kneeling, repetitive movements that cause increased friction of tendons, and bumping or falling on the knee.  There may be biomechanical issues or muscle imbalances that also lead to bursitis.  Our physical therapists are trained in identifying the root cause(s) and developing a plan of attack to return our patients to their prior level of function.

Associated Symptoms:

• Knee pain
• Knee swelling
• Knee stiffness
• Pain with walking/running, squatting
• Pain with kneeling