prepatellar bustitus

[webster]

anyone have any experience with this? if so how did you treat it? i was told that i probably have to get a cortizone shot. i'm a runner and i can't run through the pain. there is a lump on my patella that the orthopedist said is scar tissue that adhered to my patella.

[Stacey]

Hi Webster

I have tendonosis and bursitis in my right knee following many other problems.  I did have a cortisone shot for it on december 4th and in my own personal experience this just made it deteriorate faster.  Did your OS say anythign about tendonitis?  I dont know about bursitis but i was told to rest for quite a duration of tiem for the tendonosis (my OS didnt even want me doign stairs for a while).  But like i said this is my own opinion and please dont let it be the bases of any decision you make

[tazmanian_devil]

Since I am one of the comedians here I must laugh at your mis spelling of bursitis as bustitis I wish I had swelling in the bust instead of the knee , anyway yes scar tissue, pain etc. can irritate the bursae which are little fluid filled sacs. My MRI said I had that problem too. As far as how to treat it what did the Doctor say he would do about the scar tissue? PT? Scope surgery? Why do you think you have scar tissue there? Did you injure your knee? Theresa

[webster]

he said i must of injured it somehow or it could be from running on pavement too much. i'm not really sure about the scar tissue, i think that he said the cortizone shot would dissolve it. if the shot doesn't work then he said he will have to go in and cut in out.

[Heather M.]

All that cortisone can do is reduce the inflammation that is leading to irritation and forming more scar tissue.  It can't dissolve the stuff.  The scar tissue must be stretched with PT, softened with ultrasound once the worst inflammation is past, or broken up by manipulation--or it has to be cut out.

Before trying all this, have you considered medical acupuncture?  It is supposedly quite effective for things like bursitis.  I found it was very helpful for the swelling and pain I had from the scar tissue in my knee, but I had so much that it was causing mechanical problems and had to be cut out.  Since yours is isolated to the bursae....maybe this would be something to consider?  

Just a suggestion.  Getting a shot in the knee is no fun, but neither is having the scar tissue cut out.

Heather

PS here's a link to some info on bursitis and all kinds of treatments, including cortisone and acupuncture.  http://blueprint.bluecrossmn.com/topic/bursitis