Olecranon bursitis, also called elbow bursitis, is when the fluid-filled sac behind the elbow, called the olecranon bursa, becomes inflamed, swollen, and painful.
There are two types of olecranon bursitis:
- Infected (septic).
- Non-infected (aseptic).
Causes
Injury: a sudden, hard blow to the back of the elbow e.g. falling onto your elbow or bashing it against something. Swellbow often affects skateboarders
Repetitive Pressure: on the olecranon bursa from leaning through your elbow on a hard surface for prolonged periods. This commonly affects students and office workers who lean on their elbows as they work or tradespeople such as plumbers, who end up crawling and leaning through their elbows a lot
Repetitive Friction: on the bursa from repetitive elbow movements. Most commonly in athletes who do lots of throwing e.g. baseball, cricket and javelin throwers, or weightlifters
Medical Conditions: certain medical conditions that cause inflammation can increase your risk of developing olecranon bursitis e.g. arthritis, gout and kidney failure
Infection: A cut, scrape or insect bite in the skin over the olecranon process can let micro-organisms (typically bacteria) into the bursa. Septic infections cause excess fluid to collect in the olecranon bursa and the elbow will appear red, swollen and hot. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of septic olecranon bursitis.
Usually a surgical case. #olecranonbursitistreatment #olecranonburstitis
