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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffDepending on which parts of your knee are affected, your doctor may recommend one or more treatment approaches.
Medications
Medications for treating knee bursitis may include:
- Corticosteroid injection. Your doctor can inject a corticosteroid drug directly into an affected bursa to reduce inflammation. The inflammation usually subsides rapidly, but you may experience pain and swelling from the injection for a couple of days.
- Antibiotics. If an infection has caused the knee bursitis, your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotic treatment.
Therapy
Possible therapies needed for knee bursitis treatment may include:
- Aspiration. Your doctor may aspirate a bursa to reduce excess fluid and treat inflammation. He or she will insert a needle directly into the affected bursa and draw fluid into the syringe. As with a corticosteroid injection, aspiration may cause short-term pain and swelling.
- Physical therapy. Your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist or specialist in sports medicine, who can help you learn appropriate exercises to improve flexibility and strengthen muscles. This therapy may alleviate pain and reduce your risk of recurring episodes of knee bursitis.
Surgery
If you have severe chronic bursitis and don't respond to other treatments, your doctor may recommend that the bursa be removed surgically.
References
- Questions and answers about bursitis and tendinitis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bursitis/default.asp. Accessed March 31, 2011.
- Hanada E, et al. Knee bursitis. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1678/0.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
- Anderson BC. Knee bursitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 4, 2011.
- Moeller JL, et al. Orthopedics. In: Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191205553-4/0/1481/0.html#. Accessed April 4, 2011.
- Prepatellar (kneecap) bursitis. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00338. Accessed April 4, 2011.
- Schmidt MJ, et al. Tendinopathy and bursitis. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..X0001-1--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed April 4, 2011.
- Huddleston JI, et al. Hip and knee pain. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1807/0.html. Accessed April 4, 2011.
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