Major Bursae of the Knee
Prepatellar bursa - between the patella and the overlying subcutaneous tissue. Bursitis presents as pain and swelling over the patella.
Infrapatellar bursa - superficial or deep; inferior to the patella. Bursitis presents as a palpable swelling inferior to the patella.
Suprapatellar bursa - between quadriceps tendon and femur. Presents as a palpable mass above the knee joint.
Others - anserine bursa, medial collateral ligament bursa, iliotibial bursa, gastrocnemius-semimembranosus bursa.
Baker's Cyst
Look For
- Swelling and tenderness within the popliteal fossa.
Significance
- May be benign engorgement or may indicate an abnormal communication between the joint and the cyst. Generally involves the gastrocnemius-semimembranosus bursa.
Causes of Baker's Cyst
- Menisceal tear
- Anterior collateral ligament insufficiency
- Degenerative cartilage
- Septic arthritis
Extra Credit
- Prepatellar bursa - between the patella and the overlying subcutaneous tissue. Bursitis presents as pain and swelling over the patella.
- Infrapatellar bursa - superficial or deep; inferior to the patella. Bursitis presents as a palpable swelling inferior to the patella.
- Suprapatellar bursa - between quadriceps tendon and femur. Presents as a palpable mass above the knee joint.
- Anserine bursa - in the medial knee, over the distal sartorius, gracilis and semitendinosus tendons, between the tibial collateral ligament and medial tibial condyle.
- Medial collateral ligament bursa - between the superficial and deep layers of the collateral ligament. Bursitis presents similarly to a medial meniscus tear or medial collateral ligament tear.
- Iliotibial bursa - between the distal iliotibial band and Gerdy's tubercle. Presents with lateral knee swelling.
- Gastrocnemius-semimembranosus bursa - between the medial femoral condyle, semimembranosus tendon and medial head of gastrocnemius. Becomes distended to form a Baker's cyst.
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