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Olecranon Bursitis, Sports Medicine

James M. Daniels, MD, MPH, RMSK, FAAFP, FACOEM, FACPM, Alexei DeCastro, MD, FAAFP, CAQSM and Dwaipayan Choudhury, MD Reviewed 04/2019
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

Common condition, a superficial bursal or synovial-lined sack sits over the olecranon process of the ulna that fills with fluid 

EPIDEMIOLOGY

  • Bursitis (from all sources) accounts for a...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • History of repetitive flexion of elbow 2[A]

  • History of trauma 2[A]

  • History of abovementioned systemic disease 2[A]

  • History of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria 2[A]

  • ...

TREATMENT

  • For nonseptic bursitis, protection of the bursa from microtrauma with a stiff or hard type of elbow guard or pad has been useful 1,3[A].

  • Change of repetitive job or elimination of microtrauma...

ONGOING CARE

PATIENT EDUCATION

  • The care of patients with olecranon bursitis has changed over the years to a “hands off” approach.

  • Unless septic bursitis is suspected, the bursa should not be aspirated.

  • L...

REFERENCES

1
Baumbach SF, Lobo CM, Badyine I, et al. Prepatellar and olecranon bursitis: literature review and development of a treatment algorithm. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg.  2014;134(3):359–370.
2
...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Current evidence favors treating nonseptic bursitis conservatively without drainage.

  • Patients with an olecranon bursitis with any of the following are not only at higher risk of septic ...

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