Knee pain and swelling: Possible Pre patellar bursitis in a young girl

Dear Ask The Doctor: Left leg: I've been having knee pain on and off for a month now. It's accompanied by persistent swelling that hasn't gone away at all.

Dear Jennifer: The prepatellar bursa is a superficial bursa with a thin synovial lining located between the skin and the patella. Normally, it does not communicate with the joint space and contains a minimal amount of fluid; however, inflammation of the prepatellar bursa results in marked increase of fluid within its space. This what I see in your pictures. The recommended treatment would be: after the initial period of rest, physical therapy is started to regain any loss of Range Of Motion, while increasing the flexibility and strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings. Your PT should emphasize postural education on the avoidance of painful movements, especially kneeling, and use of kneepads if kneeling is necessary.