Bursa and Knee Bursitis
Bursa is a thin “sac” that is located between joints, bones, and tissues in your body. It is usually located behind your knees and other parts of your body, such as your ankles, elbows, shoulders, and your hips. The primary function of bursae is to reduce friction and reduce pressure joints between bones and tendons in your leg. There are eleven bursae in the knee and they can all get inflamed.
Knee bursitis is referred to as the inflammation and swelling of the bursa located between the skin and tendon of the tendon and bone in the knee. “Bursae” is a Latin word that means bags. It functions like a pillow to provide cushion in different parts of the body. Bursitis occurs when the sacs get inflamed. Knee bursitis may lead to accumulation of fluid around the joint, a condition known as effusion.
In the case of the knee, the bursae help protect it when you rest your knee on a hard surface. This helps reduce friction between the soft tissue and bone. The body contains over 100 bursae. When excess pressure is exerted on the sacs, either from direct blow or constant use.