Why is my knee swelling around the sides of the patella?

Question

I went to the knee specialist 7 mos. ago who told me I had pes anserine bursitis from doing a lot of kneeling in an upright position. However my whole entire knee area was swollen...it didn't even look like my knee anymore. I made another appt. (in a month). At the time I couldn't stand for 6 weeks or the swelling would just kick in. The healing has been long and slow, and I just reinjured everything by going up a high step and stepping way out. However, the swelling now is right around my kneecap, NOT where the pes anserine bursa is. If I LOOK DOWN at my right patella as if it were the face of a clock, the swelling is at 10 -11 o'clock and 1-2 o'clock, right up against the side of patella itself. I don't think there's a bursa right there.Could that be more like a symptom of patella tendonitis or some other kind of busitis? It definitely is NOT prepatellar bursitis...there is no swelling directly on the knee cap. Thanks for your answers!

Answer 1

M it sounds like to me that you just have swelling (edema) related to the pes anserine bursitis.  Edema is just fluid and will go everywhere, and anywhere.  It flows to where ever gravity will move it.  It always finds the path of least resistance.  So it will tend to find pockets.  Where ever is the easiest it will go there.  I would not worry about it.