Ultrasound-guided percutaneous lavage of calcific bursitis of the medial collateral ligament of the knee: a case report and review of the literature

Objectives Calcification of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the knee is rare. The literature reports no positive outcomes when conservative treatment has been followed. This paper reports a case of such calcification and its treatment using ultrasound-guided percutaneous lavage (UGPL). Methods A 66-year-old patient presented with medial knee pain. X-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance (MR) examinations revealed calcific bursitis of the MCL, which was treated by UGPL. Results One month after treatment the patient was asymptomatic. X-ray, ultrasound, and MR examinations confirmed the almost complete disappearance of the calcification; only very tiny fragments remained. Conclusions Calcific bursitis of the MCL of the knee is very uncommon, but should be taken into account in differential diagnoses for medial knee pain. UGPL is proposed as a treatment for this condition.