Bursitis - Elbow
and Sabine Schrör, medical journalistFabian Dupont is a freelance writer in the medical department. The human medicine specialist is already doing scientific work in Belgium, Spain, Rwanda, the USA, Great Britain, South Africa, New Zealand and Switzerland, among others. The focus of his doctoral thesis was tropical neurology, but his special interest is international public health and the comprehensible communication of medical facts.
More about the expertsSabine Schrör is a freelance writer for the medical team. She studied business administration and public relations in Cologne. As a freelance editor, she has been at home in a wide variety of industries for more than 15 years. Health is one of her favorite subjects.
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Bursitis on the elbow (bursitis olecrani) can be very painful. It usually occurs at the bony tip of the elbow. In English, olecranon bursitis is also called "student’s elbow". The reason: If you repeatedly support your elbows on the table while studying, this can lead to bursitis in the long term. Read everything you need to know about bursitis - elbows!
ICD codes for this disease: ICD codes are internationally recognized codes for medical diagnoses. They can be found, for example, in doctor's letters or on certificates of incapacity for work. M70M71
Bursitis - elbow: how does it develop?
The medical term for bursitis on the elbow is bursitis olecrani. Translated, this means: "Bursitis of the tip of the elbow" (the bony tip of the elbow is called the olecranon). It can have various causes:
Bursitis (elbow) from repeated irritation
Bursitis on the elbow is usually the result of repeated impacts and forces on the elbow. This often affects people who work a lot at their desks and keep their arm on their elbow for a long time. Doctors call the irritation and inflammation caused by prolonged propping up an atraumatic inflammation. This means that the cause of the inflammation is neither an injury nor a one-off shock.
Bursitis (elbow) caused by bacteria
In the event of a cut or an operation on the elbow, bacteria can enter the body and cause bursitis. In this case, it is called septic inflammation. There is a risk that the infection could spread to the whole body and make the person affected very sick. Therefore, patients with olecranon bursitis should always be examined for injuries to the skin in the elbow region. Then you can prevent the bacteria from spreading at an early stage if necessary.
Note: Bursitis on the elbow is rarely caused by bacteria. In most cases, the inflammation is harmless (non-bacterial).
Bursitis (elbow) with underlying diseases
Inflammation in the elbow joint can also be the cause of bursitis on the elbow. Such joint inflammation often occurs as part of another disease such as rheumatism or gout. Such a deeper cause can be behind it, especially in the case of recurring bursitis on the elbow.
Bursitis - Elbow: Symptoms
Redness, swelling, and tenderness around the elbow are the most common signs of olecranon bursitis. Touching and pressure on the elbow cause severe pain. Flexing movements are also very painful because when there is inflammation, fluid flows into the tissue, blood flow is increased and nerves are more sensitive to stimuli.
Patients should see a doctor, especially if they have very severe symptoms. The sooner the inflammation is treated correctly, the faster the symptoms usually go away.
Bursitis - Elbow: Treatment
As with all bursitis, bacterial inflammation must first be ruled out. If this is the case (i.e. it is a simple bursitis on the elbow), the treatment is quite easy. Home remedies are particularly popular with the onset of bursitis (elbow): Cold compresses and compresses can alleviate the symptoms and often prevent olecranial bursitis from fully developing. In addition to cooling, relieving the strain on the elbow is an important part of the treatment. Bursitis also respond well to anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or diclofenac (in tablet or ointment form).
If this treatment does not work well enough or if the bursitis recurs, the doctor can give a cortisone injection into the bursa. If this does not help either, an operation must be considered (removal of the inflamed bursa).
Note: Bursa surgery is only considered if all other treatment methods have failed.
In the case of a bacterial bursitis on the elbow, however, surgical removal of the bursa is almost always necessary. In addition, the patient is treated with antibiotics. Exact monitoring of the bursitis (elbow) is then essential in order not to endanger the patient's health.
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