ITB ILIOTIBIAL BAND FRICTION SYNDROME MRI: IS IT A BURSA OR A RECESS?

With fluid deep to the ITB we have 2 possibilities. 

• • It's a recess of the suprapatellar bursa or,
    
    

• • It's an ITB bursa (an adventitial bursa which develops due to friction).

• ITB BURSA will NOT communicate with the suprapatellar recess or supraptellar bursa .

• SUPRAPATELLAR RECESS will communicate with the joint via the suprapatellar bursa.

• Follow the axial scans from superior to inferior.
  
  
• See if you can spot any communication between the the fluid and the suprapatellar bursa/recess.
  
  
• If you can't see any communication it's an ITB bursa.

• You can confuse a normal supra patellar recess with an ITB bursa.

• But the recess will communicate with the joint and the ITB bursa won't.

• On axial scans look for communication between joint/ recess and the fluid collection.