Lateral premalleolar bursitis as a result of sitting on the foot

Lateral premalleolar bursitis develops on the dorsolateral aspect of the fo ot in people who sit on their feet for prolonged periods. Twenty-nine prema lleolar bursae in 21 patients were diagnosed. The patients presented with o ne or more of the complaints of swelling, pain and difficulty in wearing sh oes. One bursa was infected. Initial treatment was non-surgical. With avoid ance of the sitting position, the problem resolved in eight of the sixteen patients who were followed. Four bursae were injected with cortisone, three without success. Six bursae were surgically excised, end four of them, wit h a minimum of one year follow-up were doing well.