What causes olecranon bursitis?
• Mild but repeated injury is thought to be the common cause. For example, people who lean on their elbows a lot cause friction and repeated mild injury over the olecranon. (Fancy names have been given to this condition when the cause is clear. For example ‘students elbow’ when it occurs in people who study with their elbows leaning on a desk. Other names include ‘miners elbow’, ‘plumbers elbow’, etc, when the job involves crawling a lot using elbows.) • One-off injury such as a blow to the back of the elbow may set off inflammation. • Arthritis. One or more bursae may become inflamed as part of a generalised arthritis. (Note: most cases of olecranon bursitis are not associated with arthritis.) • Infection of a bursa. This may occur if there is a cut in the skin over a bursa which allows in bacteria. • Unknown (idiopathic). Many cases occur for no apparent reason. However, it is possible that some of these these are due to a mild injury that has been forgotten. What are the symptoms of
