What is suprapatellar bursitis of the knee? Symptoms and treatment, as well as the main causes of the development of the mentioned pathology will be discussed below. You will also learn about the features of this disease and its diagnosis.
general information
The knee joint in the human body is the largest as well as the most complex joint. It includes many auxiliary elements, which include bursa, or synovial bags. According to experts, such parts of the joint are very vulnerable, subject to frequent injury and infection, resulting in bursitis.
What are bursitis?
What is suprapatellar bursitis of the knee? In modern medicine, bursitis is an inflammatory disease that develops in the mucous membranes of the periarticular bags and at the same time forms an effusion. Such a pathology often leads to a restriction of mobility, as well as a decrease in the patient's ability to work.
If the synovial cavity is inflamed above the joint, the so-called suprapatellar bursitis of the knee joint is formed. In this case, the largest knee bursa is involved in the pathological process.
Bursa are called narrow slit-like cavities that are enclosed in a shell. They are located between parts of some bones and tissues, that is, muscles, skin, fascia and tendons. In this case, the bursa are filled with mucous fluid, which in the knee joint plays a protective, buffer, barrier and trophic role.
Suprapatellar bursitis of the knee joint is a fairly common disease. This is due to the fact that the synovial fluid is extremely sensitive and always reacts to any changes in the joint, causing an inflammatory reaction.
The main reasons for the development
Why does suprapatellar bursitis of the knee arise , the photo of which is presented in this article? There are a huge number of reasons for the development of this disease. The most common of them include the following:
- infection of synovitis cavities through open injuries, including abrasions and cuts;
- mechanical damage of the closed type, including injuries, bruises, compression and shock;
- high overvoltages and loads on the joints (especially typical for athletes and representatives of a number of professions);
- the development of allergic, inflammatory, metabolic and autoimmune diseases.
Other reasons
In addition to the main causes of development, suprapatellar bursitis of the knee joint can also occur due to the following conditions:
- due to the presence of concomitant diseases of the joints of a chronic nature (including gout, arthritis);
- due to prolonged exertion in the form of prolonged kneeling (another name for this disease sounds like “nun’s knee”);
- due to joint deformation, which was caused by low physical activity and excess weight.
The onset of an acute illness
How is synovitis inflamed? Suprapatellar bursitis of the knee joint and inflammation of sanitis can develop quickly and gradually. It depends on the cause of the pathological process. For acute bursitis, classic signs are characteristic, which include hyperemia, severe pain and swelling.
Thus, diagnosing suprapatellar bursitis of the knee joint (only an experienced specialist should treat this disease) is not difficult, especially in an acute clinic. Externally, this pathology is manifested by edema of various sizes, as well as redness of the skin. At the same time, pressing on the inflamed area, a person feels obvious soreness.
Another equally important symptom of the disease in question is a significant limitation of joint mobility.
It should also be said that the purulent process that occurs in the knee joint is often accompanied by a sudden rise in body temperature, acute pain, redness and severe swelling. At the same time, active as well as passive movement in the joint is practically impossible.
According to experts, with untimely or incorrect treatment of this pathology, the development of complications such as abscess and phlegmon is possible.
Symptoms in the chronic course of the disease
How is chronic suprapatellar bursitis of the knee manifested? Symptoms and treatment of this disease are discussed below.
With the pathological process of the chronic course, the clinical picture of the disease changes slightly. The fluid in the inflamed joint bag does not accumulate immediately, but gradually. Moreover, the existing pain syndrome may periodically weaken. As for the walls of the mucous membrane of the bag, they thicken. At the same time, small whitish deposits form on their inner surface. Over time, they separate and end up directly in the joint bag, representing foreign bodies.
Common symptoms of the disease
What are the symptoms of knee bursitis? Like any inflammatory diseases, such a pathology can occur in acute and chronic form. But for the first, and for the second course, the same symptomatology is characteristic:
- Pain As a rule, the feeling of discomfort is enhanced by movements of the lower extremities, especially in the knees.
- Swelling. With bursitis, the knee swells completely. Also, only a slight swelling can be observed. This is due to the accumulation of fluid in the periarticular bag or joint.
- The "sound" of the knee. Sounds such as crunching and clicking when bending the legs very often indicate the development of progressive inflammation.
- Decreased motor activity of the patient. This is due to increasing pain during movement.
Also, the general inflammatory symptoms of bursitis of the knee include an increase in the patient's body temperature and malaise. If a person’s condition worsens noticeably, this indicates the infectious nature of the inflammation, which requires an urgent appeal to a doctor.
Diagnostic process
How is suprapatellar bursitis of the knee joint diagnosed (treatment with folk remedies of this disease is practiced very often)? First, a specialist should examine the patient. This type of diagnosis of superficial bursitis is very popular, since in many cases this disease is detected purely visually.
Also, the patient is prescribed a clinical blood test.
To confirm their guesses and clarify the diagnosis, some experts use the following instrumental methods:
- Infrared CT is a graphical method that is based on identifying foci of the inflammatory process by changing the temperature of the pain area.
- X-ray examination. It includes contrast and overview radiography.
- Ultrasound is the safest, but quite informative method.
It cannot be said that for diagnostic purposes, under conditions of severe aseptic conditions, the patient may be prescribed puncture of the articular bag with further aspiration of exudate for cytological and bacteriological studies. In the course of such an analysis, the causative agent of the disease is released and its sensitivity to antibiotic agents is determined.
Suprapatellar bursitis of the knee: medication
With the development of bursitis of the knee joint, specialists often prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, Nimesulide, Diclofenac, Ketaprofen), as well as hormonal drugs (for example, oral glucocorticoids or in the form of intraarticular injections).
In addition, chondroprotectors in the form of local therapy, anti-inflammatory ointments, creams and compresses may be recommended for people with the disease in question. Also, with bursitis, medicines are often prescribed to improve blood circulation and the intake of vitamin and mineral complexes.
Surgery and alternative treatment
Unfortunately, many patients treat suprapatellar bursitis of the knee joint with folk remedies. However, experts argue that this approach rarely leads to positive results. At the same time, doctors stipulate that alternative medicine with this diagnosis should be used together with classical methods. If you use only alternative treatment, then the patient may experience serious complications. In this case, the operation will be shown to him:
- with bursitis - remove the bursa (that is, a periarticular bag);
- with synovitis, a partial or complete synovectomy is performed.
It should be emphasized that complications after surgery are rare. In this case, the patient's motor activity is restored within a few weeks.