X-ray of the knee of a 12 year old male, with knee effusion extending into the suprapatellar bursa. There are many treatment options available that … Remember that in 10% of the population, the suprapatellar bursa does not communicate with the knee joint. Traumatic effusion of the right knee, with swelling lateral to the kneecap marked by an arrow Knee effusion occurs when excess synovial fluid accumulates in or around the knee joint. It has many common causes, including arthritis , injury to the ligaments or meniscus , or fluid collecting in the bursa , a condition known as prepatellar bursitis . Prepatellar bursitis is also called housemaid's knee or carpenter's knee. The inflammation of a bursa is called bursitis. If an infection has caused the knee bursitis, your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotic treatment. Complications of septic pre-patellar bursitis include septic arthritis, skin infection and necrosis, osteomyelitis, and sepsis.

However, depending on the cause of your knee bursitis and which bursa is infected, your doctor might recommend one or more treatment approaches. Septic — infection of the bursal sac with micro-organisms (usually bacteria). In the absence of joint effusion, bursal effusion (arrows) may be considered as bursitis in the presence of joint effusion as effusion in a joint recess The knee joint is the most common and the easiest joint for the physician to aspirate. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac which ensures there is less friction between body parts. The suprapatellar bursa happens to be located on the upper kneecap. In front there are five bursae: the suprapatellar bursa or recess between the anterior surface of the lower part of the femur and the deep surface of the quadriceps femoris . Medications. suprapatellar: ( sū'pră-pă-tel'ăr ), Above the patella, denoting especially a bursa. [2] Pre-patellar bursitis should be suspected if there is: Localized swelling over the patella, which may be tender, red and/or warm. Water on the knee, or effusion, is typically the direct result of an injury to your knee. The prepatellar bursa is located superficially between the skin and the patella.

Read More This inflammation can take form by either an infectious nature (30%) or a non-infectious nature (70%). The suprapatellar bursa developing between the rectus femoris tendon and the femur; communication of the suprapatellar bursa with the knee joint is found in approximately 84 % of adults. However, many people with water on the knee need to have the excess fluid removed, so you may undergo a procedure known as aspiration 1. With this approach, the needle enters the suprapatellar bursa. By following participants over time, they found that suprapatellar pouch effusion was significantly associated with a change in total tibial and patellar cartilage volume. The inflammation of any of the brusae is called bursitis. To put it simply, effusion of the knee is the escape of fluid into the tissue or a type of swelling. When the knee sac is injured or infected, it causes a painful condition known as suprapatellar bursitis wherein the sac fills up with excess fluid and swells up. Knee joint aspiration and injection are performed to aid in diagnosis and treatment of knee joint diseases. What exactly is effusion of the knee?
Bursitis often improves over time, so treatment is usually aimed at symptom relief. Most treatments for knee joint effusion are based on the cause of the condition, making a "standard" approach to care nonexistent.