bursitis
Meaning of bursitis: Pain that worsens with joint movement, along with local swelling and warmth, are hallmark features of bursitis, inflammation of a fluid-filled cushioning sac.
Definition of bursitis
Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa, a small, flat, fluid filled sac located between a bone and an overlying tendon or muscle. A bursa reduces friction at these points, allowing the tendon or muscle to slide smoothly over the bone as a joint moves.
When a bursa becomes inflamed, the affected area typically becomes swollen, warm, tender, and painful, particularly with movement of the nearby joint. Bursitis most often affects the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, or foot, joints subject to repetitive movement or pressure.
Bursitis can result from repeated overuse of a joint, direct injury, or an underlying condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or infection. Identifying which of these is responsible for a particular case of bursitis helps guide how the condition is expected to run its course.
Used in a sentence
Examination revealed swelling over the elbow consistent with bursitis.
Good to know
Bursitis can closely resemble arthritis affecting the same joint, since both can produce swelling and pain with movement, though bursitis involves the fluid filled cushion beside the joint rather than the joint space itself.
Word origin
Where “bursitis” comes from
Formed from Latin bursa, meaning purse or pouch, and the Greek suffix -itis, meaning inflammation.