Persistent Knee Swelling

Swelling Near the Knee (Without Joint Swelling)

The body has bursae (meaning "sac") surrounding our larger joints, including the knee. The pre-patellar bursa is directly on top of the kneecap and can become red, swollen and painful in the setting of infection, gout or injury. The actual knee joint is usually not involved (because the prepatellar bursa has no direct connection to the joint), but because of its location, it can certainly make the knee itself seem swollen.

There are other examples of knee swelling due to problems near, but not involving, the joint: a skin infection (called cellulitis), benign tumor (such as a lipoma, a fat-filled tumor), or marked skin inflammation (as with a reaction to poison ivy or psoriasis).

Would you like to continue reading more about causes of knee swelling (next up: swelling behind the knee) or would you rather move on to some questions about your specific situation?

Fluid behind the knee, called a Baker's cyst

Information specific to my situation