Bursitis

Excerpt

Bursitis is a swelling or inflammation of a bursa, which is a synovium-lined, sac-like structure found throughout the body near bony prominences and between bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. There are over 150 known bursae in the human body, and their function is to facilitate movement in the musculoskeletal system, creating a cushion between tissues that move against one another. When bursitis occurs, the bursa enlarges with fluid, and any movement against or direct pressure upon the bursa will precipitate pain for the patient. There are many causes of bursitis, including overuse injury, infectious disease, trauma, and inflammatory disorders. The name bursitis itself is often a misnomer, as not all forms of bursitis are due to a primary inflammatory process but are rather a swelling of the bursa due to a noxious stimulus.