Joint Swelling – Is it Effusion or Edema?

Swelling – an “abnormal” enlargement of a body region – can occur at our joints and body parts. It’s important to know there are different terminologies and scenarios for these various types of swelling, but they all have one thing in common: seeing a licensed healthcare professional is key to swelling management.

If you’ve ever had a joint injury (especially verified by imaging), you may have experienced effusion – a build-up of fluid in an anatomical space. Medically, this occurs between various tissue spaces that exist in organs.

With respect to orthopedic medicine, joint effusion refers to abnormal fluid build-up in or around a joint. It most commonly occurs at the knee, but can occur at any other joint. It’s typically seen with knee trauma like ACL and meniscus injuries.

This is different from edema – swelling caused by excessive fluid build-up in our body’s tissues. This fluid can get trapped in our arms, hands, legs and feet. It’s important to note that edema can happen to anyone in life, and is not always related to trauma.

Whether you’re experiencing effusion or edema, it’s important to see a healthcare professional to determine the cause. Waiting on your treatment may have consequences further down the road.