Bursitis

The epidemiology of bursitis is unclear, and reliable data for incidence, age, and sex predilection or geographic spread are not available. A retrospective cohort study published in 2005 found trochanteric pain (not restricted to trochanteric bursitis) to be a significant chronic disease affecting 1.8 in 1000 patients per year.[2]Lievense A, Bierma-Zeinstra S, Schouten B, et al. Prognosis of trochanteric pain in primary care. Br J Gen Pract. 2005 Mar;55(512):199-204. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1463090 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15808035?tool=bestpractice.com At 5 years, 29% of patients still had symptoms, but those who had received a corticosteroid injection were 2.7 times more likely to have recovered.[2]Lievense A, Bierma-Zeinstra S, Schouten B, et al. Prognosis of trochanteric pain in primary care. Br J Gen Pract. 2005 Mar;55(512):199-204. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1463090 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15808035?tool=bestpractice.com Olecranon bursitis and prepatellar bursitis have an annual incidence of at least 10 per 100,000 people, with 80% of patients male and ages 40 to 60 years.[3]Baumbach SF, Lobo CM, Badyine I, et al. Prepatellar and olecranon bursitis: literature review and development of a treatment algorithm. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2014 Mar;134(3):359-70. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24305696?tool=bestpractice.com ​ Anserine bursitis is thought to be more common in middle-aged women, but there is no evidence to substantiate this.