Knee pain: osteoarthritis or anserine bursitis?

Abstract

Knee pain is a very common ailment in the elderly and is often attributed to osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. OA of the knee and anserine bursitis can coexist, and in such situations, anserine bursitis may be the cause of knee pain. Attributing the pain to OA can lead to invasive interventions such as intraarticular injections or joint replacement, without pain relief. Treating the anserine bursitis with ultrasound or local corticosteroid injection is reported to often result in dramatic pain relief. 1 Brookler MI Mongan ES Anserine bursitis. A treatable cause of knee pain in patients with degenerative arthritis. Calif Med. 1973; 119: 8-10 PubMed Google Scholar As such, management of knee pain requires that physicians be able to recognize the cause of the knee pain and use the appropriate treatment modalities for relief of pain and restoration of function.