Common in workers who frequently kneel. The prepatellar bursa is located between the skin and the patella or patellar ligament, covering the lower half of the patella and the upper half of the patellar ligament.

bubble_chart Diagnosis

Acute bursitis caused by trauma presents as prepatellar pain and swelling, mild tenderness, and a palpable soft, fluctuant mass with clear boundaries confined to the prepatellar region. The joint itself is not involved, so joint mobility is not significantly restricted. Systemic symptoms are usually absent. Bursal fluid aspiration yields pale red or brownish-yellow fluid, with no bacterial growth on culture.

bubble_chart Treatment Measures

Rest, heat therapy, physical therapy, and aspiration of fluid under local anesthesia. After complete drainage of the fluid, inject hydrocortisone acetate into the cyst and apply pressure bandaging, which can often lead to a cure. For refractory chronic bursitis that does not respond to non-surgical treatment, surgical excision of the affected bursa may be performed.