Knee Bursa

[debmidge]

My husband's GP advises that the bursa in his knees are being affected by his celiac. They both (both knees) are damaged and have to be removed.

Normally a knee bursa will get damaged if you have an occupation where you're on your knees a lot, like a carpet layer, a plumber, carpenter, roofer, etc. My husband has never done any of these things. We find this situation to be weird.

Surgery is planned for 6/15. I hope this is not the beginning of his immune system attaking his connective tissue... Any thoughts on this?

D.

[Guest Robbin]

Wow, Deb, your husband has been through it enough already, right? I noticed a lot of people on here have knee problems. I have had problems with my knees since childhood and I think it may have a lot to do with not absorbing nutrients and fats. I always feel like my joints are grinding together without any "lubrication" (where's my oil can?!) You've probably already done this, but I would get a second op before surgery, maybe see a rheumatologist to check for the autoimmune possiblility, although it might be like the poem about the blind men and the elephant -each with a different opinion ( Take care of yourself too!!)

oops, just re-read and saw the surgery is planned this month! I hope everything goes great and this is the end of the knee problem!!

[trents]

Deb,

I noticed that you said this surgery has been advised by a GP. Has this dx been corroborated by an orthopedist? I wasn't aware that knee replacements were done because of bursitis. Normally, they are done because the cartilage lining the ball and socket of the joint is worn out. Is this the bursa behind the knee cap? Do you have more details?

Steve

[debmidge]

Surgery is being done by orthopaedic surgeon (he did my rotator cuff 3 yrs ago). Not knee replacement,just removal of bursa sacks. He says it'll take 15 mins on each knee, not an invasive surgery.

The surgeon drained his knees (it's water build up in sack) and the fluid came back as predicted. There's no way to fix this other than surgery... the bursas are damaged and are of no use any longer, just causing pain,etc.

[plantime]

I didn't know bursas could be removed without causing more problems. I hope this surgery helps him!

[debmidge]

what kind of problems?

[trents]

what kind of problems?

The bursas are fluid filled sacs that act as cushions around joints and areas of the body where muscles and tendons must move over boney prominences. They protect the muscles and tendons from damage as they slide over those boney places with movement. Sometimes the bursas themselves become inflamed, usually due to overuse or the changes brought on by aging, i.e., "bursitis". Without the bursas, your risk of inflamation and damage to the muscles and tendons increases. You have bursas in many, many places in your body. I wonder if Celiac disease causes changes in the bursas so that they don't do their job as well.

[jenvan]

Has this problem started recently Deb or could it have been damage accumulated from a long time ago?

[debmidge]

It happened just this year and as many of you know my husband is a "house husband" and doesn't do heavy physical labor and has no hobbies where he's on his knees (like restoring cabinets, etc.). His knees have little golf ball like extensions on the knee caps (both of them)

The primary care Dr. feels it's from the celiac - immune system attacking the joints

my chiropractor agrees and my ob/gyn agrees

I am just afraid that there's more joint damage to come.

But someone mentioned problems with this type of surgergy and I was curious to know what they meant.

[Guest Viola]

This is interesting. I saw my doctor on Tues. and I have a Bursa problem on my hip. It seems that there is a bone spur and other calcium deposits there. He said that I must have injured my hip sometime in the past, but I really don't remember doing it. He did say that if the pain starts keeping me awake at nights that he would treat it with a shot ... I presume cortozone, although he didn't say. He's a surgeon and never said anything about doing surgery on it.

I will be interested to see how your husband does, sure hope it goes well for him.