What is bursitis?

Bursitis is characterized as inflammation of a bursa, which is a small fluid-filled sac located around joints that serves to reduce friction between tissues such as bone, muscle, and tendons. When a bursa becomes irritated or inflamed, it results in bursitis, commonly leading to pain, swelling, and limited movement in the affected area, often occurring near major joints like the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.

The inflammation is typically the result of repetitive motion, prolonged pressure, or trauma, rather than being a direct infection, which distinguishes it from an infection of the bursa. While bursitis can sometimes involve excessive fluid accumulation in a bursa, it fundamentally refers to the inflammatory condition rather than just the presence of fluid. Additionally, it is not a type of fracture, which involves the breaking of bone tissue. Therefore, the correct understanding of bursitis is that it is primarily an inflammatory condition affecting the bursa near joints.