Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomy of the BursaFunctionAssociated ConditionsRehabilitation
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy of the Bursa
Function
Associated Conditions
Rehabilitation
A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac within your body that lies near bony prominences and joints. The bursa acts as a cushion between muscles, ligaments, and bones and allows structures to glide and slide past one another with ease and with minimal friction. Injury to a bursa may cause pain, limited motion, and decreasedfunctional mobility. Fun fact: The plural of bursa is bursae.
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Anatomy
The bursae in your body are made up of asynovial membrane. This thin membrane of tissue secretes the synovial fluid that is contained within the bursa sac. Synovial fluid is your body’s lubricant, and this viscous fluid inside the bursa allows structures in your body to glide over one another easily.
Bursae are very small and thin. The average diameter of a bursa in an adult human is about 4 cm, and each bursa is about 2 millimeters thick.The membrane of the bursa is semi-permeable, allowing some materials to flow across the membrane into and out of the sac. An injury to your bursa may cause it to fill with blood or white blood cells.
There are two main types of bursa in your body. These include:
There are about 160 bursa in your body, and the main ones can be found in areas of high bony prominence. These bursa include:
If a bursa is surgically excised from your body, it can grow back over a few weeks’ time.
Your bursae serve to reduce friction between your body’s bony prominences and muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They help structures glide and slide past one another while movement occurs. A bursa may also provide a bit of shock absorption; the olecranon bursa in your elbow or your pre-patellar bursa in your knee may help soften a blow to those joints.
There are several conditions that may affect your bursae, causing pain, limited movement around a joint, or limited function. These may include:
If you suspect you have bursitis, calcification of the bursa, or bursa infection, see your healthcare provider right away. They can be sure to diagnose your condition properly and get you started on the right treatment.
If you are having a problem with your bursa around any joint, there are several different treatment options available to help. The treatment you receive depends on your condition.
Medication
If you have bursitis, your healthcare provider may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication. Oral steroids may be used, and over-the-counternonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)may be effective.If oral steroids and NSAIDS prove ineffective in relieving bursa inflammation, an injection of corticosteroids may be performed, bathing the bursa and surrounding tissue in medicine that fights inflammation.
Physical Therapy
If you have bursitis or limited use of a joint due to a suspected bursa problem, your may prescribephysical therapy. Your physical therapist will assess your condition and use various treatment techniques to decrease pain and improve your ability to function.
Most problems with a bursa can be successfully treated with conservative measures. Bursitis and other related conditions typically last for four to six weeks. If your condition lasts longer, you may need to follow up with your healthcare provider to discuss more invasive treatments.
Surgery
For the most severe cases of bursitis and conditions affecting your bursa, surgery may be performed. During the surgery, called a bursectomy, the injured or inflamed bursa may be surgically excised from the area around your joint.This removal of the damaged and inflamed bursa helps to decrease pain and relieve compression of the bursa. Keep in mind that a new bursa will grow back within a few weeks. This new bursa will not be inflamed or calcified. Working with a physical therapist and performing exercises to minimize stress on your bursa after surgery may be effective in preventing future problems with your bursa.
Many of us take pain-free movement for granted, but when pain strikes and limits your ability to move properly, you should see your healthcare provider to determine the cause of your problem and to get back to normal. If irritation of a bursa is the cause, there are several treatments that can quickly and effectively help you return to full mobility. Understanding how these small fluid-filled sacs function can help you be an informed healthcare consumer if a problem with a bursa arises.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hirji Z, Hunjun JS, Choudur HN.Imaging of the bursae.J Clin Imaging Sci. 2011;1:22. doi:10.4103/2156-7514.80374Ruangchaijatuporn T, Gaetke-Udager K, Jacobson JA, Yablon CM, Morag Y.Ultrasound evaluation of bursae: anatomy and pathological appearances.Skeletal Radiol. 2017;46(4):445-462. doi:10.1007/s00256-017-2577-xWilliams CH, Sternard BT.Bursitis. In: StatPearls.Della Valle V, Bassi EM, Calliada F.Migration of calcium deposits into subacromial-subdeltoid bursa and into humeral head as a rare complication of calcifying tendinitis: sonography and imaging.J Ultrasound. 2015;18(3):259–263. doi:10.1007/s40477-015-0163-4Özdemir G, Deveci A, Andıç K, Erdem Yaşar N.Bilateral olecranon tophaceous gout bursitis.Case Rep Med. 2017;2017:3514796. doi:10.1155/2017/3514796Saggini R, Di stefano A, Dodaj I, Scarcello L, Bellomo RG.Pes anserine bursitis in symptomatic osteoarthritis patients: A mesotherapy treatment study.J Altern Complement Med. 2015;21(8):480-4. doi:10.1089%2Facm.2015.0007Meade TC, Briones MS, Fosnaugh AW, Daily JM.Surgical outcomes in endoscopic versus open bursectomy of the septic prepatellar or olecranon bursa.Orthopedics.2019 Mar 26:1-4. doi:10.3928/01477447-20190321-04Additional ReadingSeo CM, Kim K, Jeon A, Uhm CS, Lee JH, Han SH.Clinical anatomy for the innervated pattern and boundary of the subdeltoid bursa.Biomed Res Int. 2018;2018:4535031. doi:10.1155/2018/4535031
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hirji Z, Hunjun JS, Choudur HN.Imaging of the bursae.J Clin Imaging Sci. 2011;1:22. doi:10.4103/2156-7514.80374Ruangchaijatuporn T, Gaetke-Udager K, Jacobson JA, Yablon CM, Morag Y.Ultrasound evaluation of bursae: anatomy and pathological appearances.Skeletal Radiol. 2017;46(4):445-462. doi:10.1007/s00256-017-2577-xWilliams CH, Sternard BT.Bursitis. In: StatPearls.Della Valle V, Bassi EM, Calliada F.Migration of calcium deposits into subacromial-subdeltoid bursa and into humeral head as a rare complication of calcifying tendinitis: sonography and imaging.J Ultrasound. 2015;18(3):259–263. doi:10.1007/s40477-015-0163-4Özdemir G, Deveci A, Andıç K, Erdem Yaşar N.Bilateral olecranon tophaceous gout bursitis.Case Rep Med. 2017;2017:3514796. doi:10.1155/2017/3514796Saggini R, Di stefano A, Dodaj I, Scarcello L, Bellomo RG.Pes anserine bursitis in symptomatic osteoarthritis patients: A mesotherapy treatment study.J Altern Complement Med. 2015;21(8):480-4. doi:10.1089%2Facm.2015.0007Meade TC, Briones MS, Fosnaugh AW, Daily JM.Surgical outcomes in endoscopic versus open bursectomy of the septic prepatellar or olecranon bursa.Orthopedics.2019 Mar 26:1-4. doi:10.3928/01477447-20190321-04Additional ReadingSeo CM, Kim K, Jeon A, Uhm CS, Lee JH, Han SH.Clinical anatomy for the innervated pattern and boundary of the subdeltoid bursa.Biomed Res Int. 2018;2018:4535031. doi:10.1155/2018/4535031
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hirji Z, Hunjun JS, Choudur HN.Imaging of the bursae.J Clin Imaging Sci. 2011;1:22. doi:10.4103/2156-7514.80374Ruangchaijatuporn T, Gaetke-Udager K, Jacobson JA, Yablon CM, Morag Y.Ultrasound evaluation of bursae: anatomy and pathological appearances.Skeletal Radiol. 2017;46(4):445-462. doi:10.1007/s00256-017-2577-xWilliams CH, Sternard BT.Bursitis. In: StatPearls.Della Valle V, Bassi EM, Calliada F.Migration of calcium deposits into subacromial-subdeltoid bursa and into humeral head as a rare complication of calcifying tendinitis: sonography and imaging.J Ultrasound. 2015;18(3):259–263. doi:10.1007/s40477-015-0163-4Özdemir G, Deveci A, Andıç K, Erdem Yaşar N.Bilateral olecranon tophaceous gout bursitis.Case Rep Med. 2017;2017:3514796. doi:10.1155/2017/3514796Saggini R, Di stefano A, Dodaj I, Scarcello L, Bellomo RG.Pes anserine bursitis in symptomatic osteoarthritis patients: A mesotherapy treatment study.J Altern Complement Med. 2015;21(8):480-4. doi:10.1089%2Facm.2015.0007Meade TC, Briones MS, Fosnaugh AW, Daily JM.Surgical outcomes in endoscopic versus open bursectomy of the septic prepatellar or olecranon bursa.Orthopedics.2019 Mar 26:1-4. doi:10.3928/01477447-20190321-04
Hirji Z, Hunjun JS, Choudur HN.Imaging of the bursae.J Clin Imaging Sci. 2011;1:22. doi:10.4103/2156-7514.80374
Ruangchaijatuporn T, Gaetke-Udager K, Jacobson JA, Yablon CM, Morag Y.Ultrasound evaluation of bursae: anatomy and pathological appearances.Skeletal Radiol. 2017;46(4):445-462. doi:10.1007/s00256-017-2577-x
Williams CH, Sternard BT.Bursitis. In: StatPearls.
Della Valle V, Bassi EM, Calliada F.Migration of calcium deposits into subacromial-subdeltoid bursa and into humeral head as a rare complication of calcifying tendinitis: sonography and imaging.J Ultrasound. 2015;18(3):259–263. doi:10.1007/s40477-015-0163-4
Özdemir G, Deveci A, Andıç K, Erdem Yaşar N.Bilateral olecranon tophaceous gout bursitis.Case Rep Med. 2017;2017:3514796. doi:10.1155/2017/3514796
Saggini R, Di stefano A, Dodaj I, Scarcello L, Bellomo RG.Pes anserine bursitis in symptomatic osteoarthritis patients: A mesotherapy treatment study.J Altern Complement Med. 2015;21(8):480-4. doi:10.1089%2Facm.2015.0007
Meade TC, Briones MS, Fosnaugh AW, Daily JM.Surgical outcomes in endoscopic versus open bursectomy of the septic prepatellar or olecranon bursa.Orthopedics.2019 Mar 26:1-4. doi:10.3928/01477447-20190321-04
Seo CM, Kim K, Jeon A, Uhm CS, Lee JH, Han SH.Clinical anatomy for the innervated pattern and boundary of the subdeltoid bursa.Biomed Res Int. 2018;2018:4535031. doi:10.1155/2018/4535031
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