The body will absorb the blood in the bursa over a several week period and the bursa should return to normal. If the swelling in the bursa is causing a slow recovery, a needle may be inserted to drain the blood to speed up the process. There is a slight risk of infection in putting a needle in the bursa. Chronic pre-patellar bursitis is sometimes a real nuisance. The swelling and tenderness gets in the way of kneeling on the knee and causes pain.
Treatment usually starts by trying to control the inflammation.
Medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin may be suggested by your doctor to control the inflammation and swelling. A knee pad may be useful in making it easier to kneel on the affected knee. If the bursa remains filled with fluid, a needle may be inserted and the fluid drained. During the drainage procedure, if there is absolutely no evidence of infection, a small amount of cortisone may be injected into the bursa to control the inflammation. Again, there is a small risk of infection if the bursa is drained with a needle.