Aspiration of the knee is the removal of fluid from inside the joint, using a needle and syringe.
Page updated September 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
How and why knee aspiration is performed
To aspirate the knee, the practitioner prepares the joint with a sterilising fluid and clean drapes, and palpates with gloved hands on the lateral side just under the kneecap. If the knee is full of fluid the examining finger should feel a 'bounce' in this area, where a wide syringe needle can be introduced, and the fluid withdrawn.
The fluid may be:
- an excess of joint fluid - where irritation has caused an effusion
- blood - where there has been an haemarthrosis
- pus - where the joint is infected
- a fatty fluid - in cases where a fracture has involved the joint cavity
Synonyms:
arthrocentesis
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