 What
is it?
The olecranon bursa is located on the elbow,
and can become irritated and inflamed from a traumatic blow
experienced or simply from being rubbed the wrong way. Sometimes
it flares up from repetitive flexion- extension activity to
the elbow; this can cause pain from the constant rubbing of
the skin over the bursa. Swelling and hemorrhage develop within
the bursal sac, producing pain and stiffness posteriorly.
Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms are relatively straight
forward, upon clinical examination swelling and tenderness
over the olecranon bursa will be noticed. Erythema is often
inspected for to be sure that an infectious bursitis isn't
present. The doctor will also rule out the infection being
the reason for the bursitis, if the pain is extremely severe
and there isn't any history of trauma.
Treatment
Usually the initial treatment of olecranon
bursitis includes compression and ice application to reduce
the swelling and inflammation. Sometimes the use of a sling
or splint is required to keep the elbow immobilized. After
the swelling has canned a bit aspiration via syringe is sometimes
helpful. If aspiration is performed it is done very carefully,
using all sterile techniques. It's important that it be done
carefully because of the poor blood supply to this area which
could result in infection rather easily.
For athletes that attain this problem when
returning to sport the area should be protected rather well
with some sort of padding.
In few cases surgery is done on the olecranon
bursa to excise the bursa, that is cut it or release the tension.
Prognosis
Patients with this bursitis tend to do
very well with the conservative treatment, and as previously
stated only few patients ever tend to need surgical intervention.
Those patients are usually the unfortunate few whom have chronic
or recurrent olecranon bursitis. In general it is very curable
and relatively well treatment receptive.
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