Haemarthrosis is bleeding into a joint (haem' means blood and 'arthrosis' means joint).
Haemarthrosis can result in acute and painful knee swelling. Larger amounts after injury or surgery are generally aspirated with a needle and syringe.
The blood is contained within the joint capsule, which can become very tense. Aspiration with a syringe and needle can offer rapid relief.
X-ray of young person with haemarthrosis - © Nevit Dilmen [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons
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| Haemarthrosis can result in acute and painful knee swelling. Larger amounts after injury or surgery are generally aspirated with a needle and syringe. | The blood is contained within the joint capsule, which can become very tense. Aspiration with a syringe and needle can offer rapid relief. | X-ray of young person with haemarthrosis - © Nevit Dilmen [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons |
What causes an haemarthrosis?
Haemarthrosis may result from damage to blood vessels from injury or surgery, or spontaneously in bleeding disorders such as haemophilia.
Synonyms:
hemarthrosis
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CLINICAL PUBLICATIONS
Acute knee haemarthrosis: a case report describing diagnosis and management for a patient on anticoagulation medication. Ross MD, Elliott R. Physiother Res Int. 2011 Jun;16(2):120-3.
Traumatic haemarthrosis of the knee. Ansari MZ, Ahee P, Iqbal MY, Swarup S. Eur J Emerg Med. 2004 Jun;11(3):145-7.