SUMMARY Forty-seven patients with traumatic olecranon bursitis were evaluated after a mean follow-up of 31 months (range 6 to 62 months). Twenty-two patients treated with bursal aspiration had delayed recovery and no complications of therapy. Twenty-five patients treated with intrabursal injection of 20 mg of triamcinolone hexacetonide had rapid recovery, usually within one week, but suffered complications such as infection (3 cases), skin atrophy (5 cases), and chronic local pain (7 cases). Since spontaneous resolution can be expected, a conservative approach is suggested in the treatment of traumatic olecranon bursitis.While the clinical' and radiological2 findings in traumatic olecranon bursitis have been described in detail, the clinical course and long-term results of therapy remain largely unknown.We report here the outcome of treatment of 47 consecutive patients with traumatic olecranon bursitis treated with bursal aspiration alone or aspiration followed by corticosteroid injection.