A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac. It eases friction between bones and soft tissue, like tendons. With prepatellar bursitis, the bursa in the front of your knee gets irritated and swells with extra fluid. That puts pressure on your knee that leads to pain.
It usually goes away on its own with a little self-care, like rest, ice packs, and over-the-counter pain meds.
If these treatments don’t work, your doctor may:
If the bursa is infected, you’ll also need antibiotics. If they don’t help, you may need surgery to get out the extra fluid.
- Take fluid out of the bursa using a needle
- Give you a cortisone injection to help with pain and swelling