What is elbow bursitis? #Seattle #health

Today, I’ll talk about a common condition that I see in clinic - elbow or olecranon bursitis.  Elbow bursitis, or olecranon bursitis, is inflammation of the fluid filled sac (bursa) at the tip of the elbow due to trauma, infection, or inflammation.   Some have referred to this condition as “Popeye elbow” because of the swelling and the bump that develops at the tip of the elbow.  The normal olecranon bursa provides protection and decreases friction to the elbow joint and contains only a small amount of fluid. 

Bursitis of the elbow can occur for a variety of reasons including:

• Trauma to the tip of the elbow causing swelling and fluid build up

• Repetitive stress to the elbow.

• Infection

• Gout

• Rheumatoid arthritis 

Treatment of the bursitis depends on the cause.

In general, most cases of elbow bursitis can be treated with time, prevention of repetitive stress to the elbow, and compressive ACE wraps.  There are certain conditions, however, that have specific treatment as seen below.

Infection

Bursa aspiration

Most infections can be treated with either oral or IV antibiotics.  Your doctor may also recommend aspirating (see Figure), or removing the fluid with a needle.  This can provide useful information, including the type of bacteria, but can also provide some pain relief.  Very rarely, I have to perform an arthroscopy to clean out the infected bursa.

Trauma

Most bursitis related to trauma resolves on its own once the injury has been treated.

Repetitive stress

This is the most common cause of bursitis that I see.  The key to preventing olecranon bursitis due to repetitive stress is to stop the repetitive trauma.  This can be as simple as not resting your elbow on hard surfaces, but may include placing pads on your table or desk, or in extreme cases - wearing an elbow pad for a period of time.

Gout and rheumatoid arthritis

Treatment of the underlying disease, normally improves the symptoms of the bursitis.  On occasion, the bursa will become chronically scarred or will have abnormal material due to gout that may have to be surgically removed.

Conclusion

Elbow bursitis is very common and is generally easy to treat.  It can be frustrating, however, due to the high rate of recurrence.  Please reach out to me or your primary care provider if you think that you have elbow bursitis and would like treatment. 

Thank you,

Andrew Pastor