Olecranon Bursitis
By
What is Olecranon Bursitis?
Olecranon Bursitis is inflammation in the bursa behind the Elbow. The elbow is made up of three bones (ulna, radius and the humerus). The olecranon is the bony prominence on the ulna and serves to assist the muscles of the elbow to extend the elbow joint.
Olecranon Bursitis
A bursa (fluid filled sac) which are located on our major joints such as the elbow, knee, shoulder, hip and many other areas of the body. They assist tendons, ligaments, muscles in providing a cushion and reducing friction between the surfaces mentioned.
What Causes Olecranon Bursitis?
- Trauma – Falling or hitting the elbow where the bursa is located
- Pressure – Leaning onto the elbow repeatedly especially on hard surfaces. This may also cause an elbow bruise.
- Infection – Infection located near the site of the bursa can lead to the bursa becoming inflamed
X-Ray of Human Elbow
Symptoms of Olecranon Bursitis
What are the symptoms of Olecranon Bursitis?
- Pain
- Redness or warmth
- Swelling
- Tenderness
The first sign of olecranon bursitis is typically swelling followed by pain. The swelling can typically cause a golf ball like appearance on the back of the elbow. Pain is associated with either movement of the elbow or direct pressure onto the elbow. Elbow flexion or bending of the elbow is usually the movement that would reproduce pain. However, there are many cases where movement will not cause any pain
Click here for more tips on how to reduce swelling fast.
Treatment for Olecranon Bursitis
The best initial treatment for Olecranon Bursitis is R.I.C.E.
- Rest– avoid activities that causes irritation of the elbow
- Ice– apply a few times throughout the day, typically 10 to 20 minutes
- Compression– used to help reduce swelling, Ace bandages work well
- Elevation– elevate affected elbow above heart level to reduce blood flow to area Elbow Pad- used to help cushion the elbow and provide protection if direct pressure is applied to the elbow. If you have bursitis of the knee, you should use knee pads when kneeling. Carpenters and workers who install tile, should certainly use knee pads when working.
- Anti-inflammatory medication
If these treatments do not help, its time to see a doctor. Medical interventions could include, aspirating the fluid from the bursal sac or injecting cortisone medication into the area to help reduce the inflammation. If those options are unsuccessful, surgery to remove the bursa sac is an option but this in not common. If you have Elbow Pain or think you may have Olecranon Bursitis, the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute can help.
Related Articles: What is Bursitis? and What is hip bursitis?
Book an Appointment with The Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute Today!
JOI Physicians continue to offer online new patient appointments. This is another option to make it more convenient to make new patient appointments with less phone hold times. Follow the link below to select your JOI MD and schedule online.
New to JOI, you can now schedule your follow up appointments and cancel appointments on the JOI Portal.
To make appointments with JOI Rehab, please call 904-858-7045.
