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...we came across a pride of lion with quite a few lions that had swollen "elbows"

Here are the photos of the lions with swollen elbows.

Here are the photos of the lions with swollen elbows.

A hygroma is a false bursa that occurs over bony prominences and pressure points, especially in large breeds of dogs. Repeated trauma from lying on hard surfaces produces an inflammatory response, which results in a dense-walled, fluid-filled cavity. A soft, fluctuant, painless swelling develops over pressure points, especially the olecranon. If long-standing, severe inflammation may develop, and ulceration, infection, and fistulas may be present. The bursa contains a clear, yellow to red fluid.

In layman's terms it is a swelling that often develops when a joint, usually the elbow, keeps getting smacked on a hard surface. Think of it this way. If you walk through your living room and "whomp" (really hit) your shin on your coffee table as many times a day as your dog goes down on its elbows, your shin is going to swell up. If you do it long enough your body will start to produce a more permeant protective solution then the skin swelling called a bursa (fluid filled sack). Once you stop hitting your shin on the coffee table and the shin bone begins to heal the swelling will begin to go down. The same is true with your dog's elbow, once they stop traumatizing their elbows, the joint will begin to heal, as it heals, the body will absorb the fluid the joint has produced (hygroma) as a response to the repeated trauma.