SHOP

An Overview of Pes Anserine

Bursitis

Pes Anserine Bursitis is also known as

Goosefoot Bursitis

The pes anserine bursa is found on the inside of the

knee joint. This specific bursa is positioned between the
tibia (lower leg shinbone) and 3 tendons that connect
hamstring muscles to the tibia. Hamstring muscles are
powerful and are capable of exerting tremendous stress
and friction on the pes anserine bursa.

Symptoms of Pes Anserine Bursitis

You might be suffering from goosefoot bursitis if you are
experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:

Pain, Tenderness and Swelling

- If you suffer from bursitis in
your pes anserine bursa you will
feel pain or tenderness over your
tibia, approximately 2-3 inches
below the patella, or kneecap.
The pain often felt down to the
back and inside of the thigh.

Pain Becomes Worse During

Exercise or when you are
climbing stairs, but can also
increase by simply bending and
straightening your knee. Pain
usually starts gradually and
develops over a few days or
even months.

You have Sharp Pain On The

Inside Of Your Knee a couple
inches below your knee joint.

There is Swelling on the Inside

of your Knee. Swelling is
usually evident over and around
the bursa that is inflamed. This
swelling may appear
immediately following trauma,
over a couple of hours, or up to
7-10 days after the incident.

You experience Pain when

Touching the Inside of your
Lower Leg below the Knee.

You may notice Warmth And Visible Redness on

your skin in the area as inflammation in the pes
anserine bursa and along the tendons becomes
more severe.

Interrupted Sleep Patterns. Simply bending your

knee or rolling over during sleep can cause
pressure on the inflamed bursa, increasing your
pain. The pain can range from mild to very sharp
depending on the amount of inflammation in your
knee. Many knee bursitis sufferers recommend
placing a pillow between your knees/thighs while
you sleep to reduce pain throughout the night.

You may have Limited Range Of Motion And

Weakness In Your Leg And Knee. The pain is
often limiting as you stop performing motions that
make the pain worse. If bursitis is left untreated the
inflammation can increase, causing more pain,
limiting movement even more. Eventually,
weakness in the leg muscles and and tendons
around the knee can set in. As you lose strength in
your quadriceps, your legs may begin to give out
during daily activities.

It is important to treat pes anserine bursitis in the

early stages to reduce the symptoms, minimize
damage and maintain motion and strength in your knee.
Eliminate any squatting, repetitive knee bending,
crossing your legs, kneeling or any other activities that
add pressure on your bursa. By treating your pes
anserine bursitis (& often the accompanied tendinitis) in
the early stages with conservative treatment methods,
you are more likely to prevent long-term damage and
chronic conditions from setting in.

If any of the above statements are

true for you or you're suffering from
on-going pain on the inside of your
knee then you might have an injury
called "pes anserine or goosefoot"
bursitis.

This fairly rare form of knee bursitis

can be caused by hamstring
tightness and repetitive knee
movements. Repetitive lower leg
movements are sometimes found in
specific jobs or in sports related
activities such as running and/or
excessive climbing.

What is Goosefoot (Pes Anserine)

Bursitis?
Pes anserine bursitis is a painful, inflammatory condition
affecting the tendons between your shinbone and the
hamstring tendons at the inside of your knee. The pes
anserinus is the area where the tendons of 3 muscles
(sartorius, gracilis, and semitendinosus) come together;
these three tendons merge together on the inside
surface of the shinbone.

These three muscles are the dominant knee flexors that

function to allow movement of the leg towards the body
and control rotation of the tibia; they also protecting the
knee against stress when it is turned (rotary stress). The
pes anserine bursa lies beneath these tendons close to
the shinbone, providing cushioning between the tendons
and the tibia.

Pes anserine bursitis occurs when the pes anserine

bursa sac inside the knee becomes irritated and
inflamed. A bursa is a sac of synovial fluid, rich in
protein and collagen. These fluid-filled sacs are located
in areas where 2 surfaces in your body, most often
where a bone and tendon or a bone and muscle, rub
together during movement. Bursae play an important
role in leading a healthy, active life as they allow your
joints to move smoothly and painlessly.

If there is too much pressure or friction on a bursa,

excess fluid can build up in the sac and/or the the lining
of the sac can thicken, causing inflammation. The
excess friction can happen all at once (acute), or over a
long period of time - typically due to repetitive movements
(RSI). When the pes anserine bursa becomes inflamed,
moving your knee becomes very painful and more
difficult as severity increases.

Once a bursa is injured, fluid and/or blood is allowed to

enter into the bursa and inflammation will increase
over time. Once this happens, the bursa sac walls may
thicken and form scar tissue or calcium may collect in
the bursa. If pes anserine bursitis was incurred due to
the nature of your work, you will have very little chance
of getting rid of this condition unless you change or stop
the work that caused it until it is completely healed.

What is the Difference Between

Bursitis and Tendonitis?

Bursitis:
Each joint in the body has one or more bursae (bursae is
the plural form of bursa). Bursae are flattened fluid-filled
sacs that function as cushions between your bones and
the muscles (deep bursae) or bones and tendons
(superficial bursae). When the joint is over overused or
overstressed, the bursa may become damaged with small
micro-tears on the surface or become squeezed by tissue
which has become tight.

Tendonitis:
Tendons are tough cords of tissue that connect muscles
to bones. Overusing or over-stressing any area of the
body will often damage tendon tissue which can cause
tears both large or small. Tendinitis is when the tendon
gets overstressed and microtears in the tendon form,
weakening the tendon and often causing significant pain
and inflammation.

It is possible to have both bursitis and tendonitis as

the same time in any joint in the body. In fact, if you
are experiencing one of them - you are more likely to
contract the other as bursae are in close proximity to
tendons.

What Causes Pes Anserine Bursitis

Inflammation of the pes anserine bursae or the
surrounding tendons usually develops due to overuse,
trauma, or degeneration of the protective tissue in the
knee. The most common cause of pes anserine
bursitis is hamstring tightness due to a lack of
warming up and stretching properly before activity,
particularly long distance running or excessive climbing.
Other specific causes include:

Excess Stress on the Pes Anserine

Bursa
Sports that require athletes to make frequent side-to-
side or quick back and forth movements can put
athletes at risk of pes anserine bursitis. This is due to the
repetitive, sudden pressure applied to the bursa during
these movements.

Muscle & Joint Weakness

Lack of exercise or activity allows muscles to become
weak and your knees begin to lack the proper muscle
support. This can cause excess load on the knee joints
or may cause your weight to be unevenly distributed.
Uneven distribution of weight will put extra stress on
some areas compared to others leading to abnormal
wear and tear on the stressed areas.

In addition, if you are overweight, the knee joints have

to work harder to carry a greater load causing more
stress on the tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones, and
bursae in the knees. The excess stress can lead to
irritation and inflammation of any of the soft tissue over
time, including the pes anserine bursa.

Knee & Leg Structure/BioMechanical

Aberrations
The overall structure of your knee and leg, such as foot
rolling, out-turned knees, or limping can cause excessive
friction, or rubbing, on the pes anserine bursa as your
weight shifts onto the inner part of the knee.
(Biomechanical problems or Abnormal Knee Mechanics)

Acute Trauma
A direct blow to the knee or the pes anserine bursa
just below the knee during athletics or when falling on
the knee can result in goosefoot bursitis. In such cases,
blood may leak into the bursa causing irritation,
inflammation, swelling and pain.

Excessive Friction, Or Rubbing Can

Aggravate It Over Time
If your work or exercise routine requires frequent
climbing, running, jumping, or hiking you may be at higher
risk of prepatellar bursitis. This risk increases if there is
anything that many cause abnormal wear and tear within
the joint.

Knee Osteoarthritis
If you suffer from osteoarthritis in your knees, as your
knees experience wear and tear, there is a release of
destructive enzymes which break down the cartilage to
the point where the bones of the knee joint rub
together and develop sclerosis (a hardening of tissue) as
well as tiny fractures, cysts and bone spurs. The excess
wear and tear can cause abnormal pressure on the
bursa leading to irritation and inflammation.

A Warning About Infection

(Septic Bursitis)
The closer the bursa is to the surface of the skin, the
more likely the chance of infection from specific bacteria
(staphylococcus epidermis or staphylococcus aureus)
that are commonly found on the surface of the skin. This
bacterial infection is known as septic bursitis. Septic
bursitis occurs most commonly in men (85% of all cases
occur in men) and you are at a higher risk of contracting
this if you:

have diabetes

have recently experienced trauma

are undergoing steroid treatments

have a certain kidney condition

If the bursitis in your pes anserine bursa is septic, it can

quickly become life-threatening and you will require
antibiotics from your doctor to treat the infection.
Warmth and redness in the area are signs of an
infection as well as a fever. If you suspect your bursitis
is septic, be sure to see a doctor immediately.

How Do I Diagnose Goosefoot

Knee Bursitis?
When you are experiencing knee pain, a visit to the
doctor is always recommended, as there are many
conditions that can cause knee pain such as a
meniscus tear, an ACL sprain, patellar or quadriceps
tendinitis, a fracture, and yes knee bursitis. Getting a
proper diagnosis is important so you can treat your
condition correctly.

To begin with, your doctor

will gather a medical
history about you and
your current condition and
symptoms. He/she will ask
about the amount pain you
are having with your knee.
How long you have had
your symptoms and if you
are have range of motion
loss with your leg and
knee. Details about what
caused the pain in the
knee, when it started, and whether or not you have ever
had treatments for this or a similar condition in the past,
are very helpful in assessing your injury.

A physical examination will be performed to determine if

you have any signs of knee bursitis or other knee injury.
He/she will visually assess and palpate (feel) the bones
and soft tissue in both your knees to evaluate any
differences between the two of them. This will identify
any abnormalities, such as swelling, bone deformities,
atrophied muscles, redness and/or warmth on the skin. In
many cases, the first sign that you have knee bursitis
is swelling at the joint.

Range of motion movements / tests will be done to

see how much movement has been lost in your knee.
Your knee might hurt from the doctor poking and
prodding at it, but by doing this the doctor will better
understand the source of your pain, the level of
tenderness in and around your knee and how well your
knee can move with this condition.

Your doctor may also consider any previous knee injuries

or joint stiffness that you may have had in the past. This
will help the doctor to determine if you have a more
complex injury in your knee and rule out any other foot
injuries that may be present.

If a soft tissue injury is suspected, an MRI may be

undertaken to view where and how extensive the damage
is. An x-ray may be recommended to rule out other
possible causes of your symptoms. Possible causes of
pain that an x-ray can identify include instability, abnormal
bone shapes (bone spurs or bone cysts), wear and tear
on the joints, avulsion fractures (when a fragment of bone
tears away from the main bone along with the muscle,
tendon, or ligament as a result of trauma), dislocations,
arthritis, calcium deposits in the bursa or joint, and/or
other problems.

As the bursae in the knee are close to the surface of the

skin, they are more susceptible to septic bursitis
(caused by a cut or scrape) than most other bursae.
Your doctor may aspirate (use a needle) to remove fluid
from the bursa to check for possible staphylococcus
epidermis (or staphylococcus aureus) bacterial
infection. Your doctor will be able to determine whether
there is an infection or not by drawing a small sample
of the bursa fluid with a needle. If it is determined that
your bursitis is septic, you will be prescribed antibiotics
to get rid of the infection.

Pes Anserine (Goosefoot)

Bursitis Home Remedies
What You Need To Know
Doctors and surgeons know that surgery will introduce
more scar tissue into the tendons and ligaments in your
knee - this is why they only recommend surgery as a
last resort. This added scar tissue will be problematic,
requiring physical therapy and conservative treatment
options post-surgery. When it comes to pes anserine
bursitis there's only a few surgical options for treatment
- removal of the bursa sac, scraping of the bone(s) to
allow more room for the new bursa to grow back. This
is why surgery is almost always only performed on
chronic bursitis cases that won't heal with
conservative treatment methods.

The good news is that most cases

of pes anserine bursitis will heal
with simple home conservative
treatments. Surgery is usually not
needed
Relieving the pain of your sore knee and the
symptoms of bursitis initially focuses on keeping the
pressure off the bursa. If your pes anserine bursitis
was caused due to the nature of your work, you really
need to stop that type of work until the bursitis is gone.
For non-infectious bursitis, the preliminary treatment
will almost always start with conservative treatment
options.

Some conservative treatment methods recommended

include:

Rest - This is important for initial healing because

without proper rest you're at risk for increased pain,
inflammation. If you are not resting your knee, your
bursitis will probably worsen, possibly becoming
chronic (persistent, long term). Over time, there is a
high correlation of tendonitis and bursitis - it is
possible that you will eventually contract tendinitis
in the area if your bursitis persists.

Avoid Activities that Caused Your Goosefoot

Bursitis - While resting your knee it's also
important to avoid all activities that may have
caused your pes anserine bursitis, including any
work related tasks that require kneeling or pressure
on the knees. Continuing on with regular activities
can increase the severity of bursitis, turning a mild
to moderate case of injury into serious damage or
leading to injuries in other areas due to
overcompensation.

Apply a Cold Compress or Ice Pack for

Inflammation - Immediate cold therapy at the
onset of your injury (or during flareups) will help you
combat the pain and inflammation of bursitis and
tendinitis. Immediate pain relief and reduced
inflammation can also relieve some of the pressure
that's being placed on soft tissue in the knee and
keep the injury from worsening.

Use a Knee T•Shellz Wrap® (Deep Tissue

Therapy) Once Swelling is Down - After
inflammation and/or swelling has been reduced,
use your own blood flow to maximize your
rehabilitation, decrease recovery time, and boost
overall long-term healing. Deep Tissue Therapy is
especially helpful in dealing with chronic tendon,
muscle & bursitis injuries or on-going pain, stiffness
or atrophy in a knee joint.

Physical therapy and rehabilitative exercise under

supervision of a physical therapist or doctor. The
intent of this is to provide you with increased range
of motion, pain relief and strengthening of the soft
tissue surrounding the knee. Caution: aggressive
physical therapy can be harmful, such as
aggressive stretching or massage. When dealing
with a knee that has very low range of motion, there
is high risk of greater injury to weak, damaged
muscles and tendons of the joint.

We highly recommend you go to our Knee Bursitis

Treatments page and learn more about how to
effectively treat your pes anserine bursitis.

With regular use of the Knee T•Shellz

Wrap®:

Your pain will be reduced.

The applied deep heat will increase blood

flow. This increased blood flow will
stimulate your body's healing response,
helping you recovery from soft tissue injury
more quickly, at a reduced risk of re-injury.

Your corresponding knee will have a larger

range of motion and increased
extensibility of collagen tissue. (Chapter
9 of "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th
edition. (amazon.com link - Ed. Justus F.
Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin)

Product Advisors are available 9:00 am to 10:00 pm

Eastern Standard Time Monday, Tuesday and between
9:00 am and 5:00pm on Wednesday to Friday.

Learn More About Bursitis Injuries &

Treatments
I want to learn more about Post-Surgery Recovery

I want to learn more about T•Shellz Wrap® Deep Tissue

Therapy

I want to learn more about Ice & Heat: Which Is Better

For Treatment?

I want to learn more about Bursitis Treatments

I want to learn more about Bursitis Surgery

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL OUR PRODUCTS

During your recovery, you will probably have to modify

and/or eliminate any activities that cause pain or
discomfort at the location of your soft tissue injury until
the pain and inflammation settle. Always consult your
doctor and/or Physical Therapist before using any of our
outstanding products, to make sure they are right for you
and your condition. The more diligent you are with your
treatment and rehabilitation, the faster you will see
successful results!

© 2020 In.Genu Design Group, Inc. Contact Us

Privacy Back to top