Recent Developments in Septic Bursitis

No Wound Healing Complications or Recurrences Were Seen and a High Level of Satisfaction Was Reported in Patients Who Underwent Endoscopic Olecranon Bursectomy for Recalcitrant Olecranon Bursitis

Purpose

To determine the outcomes of endoscopic olecranon bursectomy for the treatment of recalcitrant olecranon bursitis in one surgeon's practice.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on all patients who underwent an endoscopic olecranon bursectomy for the treatment of recalcitrant olecranon bursitis between January 2018 and May 2021 at one surgeon's practice. Demographic variables as well as causes for olecranon bursitis such as aseptic, septic, and gouty tophi were recorded. In addition, any complications such as infection, recurrence, wound failure, or hospitalizations were documented, with wound dehiscence, recurrence of bursitis, and return to the operating room being the primary outcome measures. During the final phone encounter before finalizing this project, patients were queried to obtain the patient-reported form of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Elbow Questionnaire, quick Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand score, and the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score.

Results

Our study included 28 patients (23 male and 5 female) with an average age of 68 years (ranging from 33-86 years), all of whom had follow-up. The average follow-up was 24.7 months (range 3-42 months). There were 15 cases (54%) of aseptic bursitis, 13 cases (46%) of septic bursitis, and 7 cases (25%) that contained gouty tophi (5 aseptic and 2 septic). Of the 28 patients, 4 experienced complications. These all occurred within 3 months of surgery. One necessitated hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics, 2 were minor infections treated with oral antibiotics, and one was swelling treated successfully with in-office aspiration. Overall, 24 (86%) patients reported no issues at all related to the surgery. There were no instances of recurrence, wound failure, or secondary operations. Of the 20 (71.4%) patients who were reached for patient-reported form of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Elbow Questionnaire, quick Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand score, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation scores, all 20 patients reported no residual pain or difficulties with daily tasks. Average satisfaction with the procedure was 9.9 of 10 and, on average, patients reported that their elbow functionality was 96% with 100% representing completely normal.

Conclusions

In this population, patients who underwent endoscopic olecranon bursectomy experienced no recurrences or wound-healing complications necessitating return to the operating room. In addition, patients reported high function and satisfaction after the procedure.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, therapeutic case series.

Surgical Outcomes in Endoscopic Versus Open Bursectomy of the Septic Prepatellar or Olecranon Bursa

In this study, the authors investigated the viability of endoscopic bursectomy as a treatment for septic prepatellar and olecranon bursitis. Conventional treatment of septic bursitis consists of aspiration, antibiotics, and rest. When conservative treatment fails, however, surgical intervention is sometimes required to resolve the infection. Typical surgical intervention consists of open bursectomy, in which the infected bursa is excised via an incision in the region of the skin directly above the bursa. The tenuous nature of the blood supply to this region of the skin results in a rather high rate of wound healing issues such as necrosis and wound dehiscence. Recently, endoscopy has been proposed as a less invasive means of bursectomy, although initially it was only recommended for cases of aseptic bursitis. A degree of uncertainty has persisted in the literature as to whether endoscopic bursectomy allows for sufficient debridement of the infected tissue to avoid recurrence of bursitis. The authors report on 27 cases in which endoscopic bursectomy was performed for recalcitrant septic bursitis. Fourteen of these cases were septic olecranon bursitis and 13 were septic prepatellar bursitis. The authors reported good results, with no wound healing complications and only 1 minor recurrence. They also reported much shorter hospital stays than have been reported both for more conservative treatments of septic bursitis and in other case series on endoscopic bursectomy. The authors conclude that endoscopic bursectomy is a superior alternative to open bursectomy for the treatment of recalcitrant septic prepatellar and olecranon bursitis. [Orthopedics. 2019; 42(4):e381-e384.].

Management of septic bursitis

Superficial septic bursitis is common, although accurate incidence data are lacking. The olecranon and prepatellar bursae are the sites most often affected. Whereas the clinical diagnosis of superficial bursitis is readily made, differentiating aseptic from septic bursitis usually requires examination of aspirated bursal fluid. Ultrasonography is useful both for assisting in the diagnosis and for guiding the aspiration. Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for 80% of cases of superficial septic bursitis. Deep septic bursitis is uncommon and often diagnosed late. The management of septic bursitis varies considerably across centers, notably regarding the use of surgery. Controlled trials are needed to establish standardized recommendations regarding antibiotic treatment protocols and the indications of surgery.

Autoimmunity Mimics: Infection and Malignancy

Musculoskeletal rheumatic syndromes are commonly encountered in the primary care setting. A plethora of commonly encountered and rare infectious agents can produce osteoarticular and soft tissue manifestations. Likewise, malignancies may manifest rheumatic symptoms via direct tumor invasion or paraneoplastic effects. Awareness of these diseases and their clinical risk factors should result in improved screening and earlier recognition and intervention, leading to improved long-term outcomes and overall patient care.