Pain in and around the knee can originate from numerous causes.  One of the more frequent causes of knee pain is bursitis.  A bursa is a fluid filled sac that helps to cushion movements.  These bursa can become inflamed and cause pain.  The knee joint has many of these bursa.  There are five named bursa in the front, four on the lateral edge of the knee and five on the medial edge of the knee.  The patient with bursitis has pain in and around the site of inflammation.  Movement of the knee may be painful.  There may be signs of inflammation such as warmth, redness and swelling.  Kneeling can be especially painful.  The inflammation arises from trauma to the knee or from overuse.  An MRI may be useful to look for other causes of pain such as tumors, fractures or abnormalities of the joint itself.  Treatment of pain around the knee from inflammation of the bursa begins with conservative modalities such as rest, ice, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy.  These bursa can also be injected with a local anesthetic and a steroid to decrease the pain and inflammation.