You have been treated for a Baker’s Cyst. You have been thoroughly examined and are now considered fit to be discharged. The following will aid your recovery.
What is a Baker’s Cyst
A Baker’s cyst is a swelling filled with synovial fluid, which forms behind your knee. Synovial fluid is the fluid that is usually found inside the knee joint. Baker’s cysts are sometimes called popliteal cysts.
1. Femur (thighbone) 2. Patella (kneecap) 3. Baker’s cyst
A valve-like system exists between the knee joint and the bursa (a sac of fluid) on the back of the knee, which controls the amount of synovial fluid coming in and out of the bursa. When the knee produces too much synovial fluid (this happens when the knee is swollen) the excess fluid causes the bursa behind the knee to bulge and expand – this is what is known as a Baker’s cyst.
Who gets Baker’s cysts?
It can occur in people of any age or sex. lt has two age-incidence peaks at 4–7 years and 35–70 years, with the most common age of presentation being 55–65 years when it is related to arthritis of the knee.
What are the symptoms of a Baker’s cyst?
In some cases a Baker’s cyst causes no pain and so remains unnoticed. The common symptoms of a Baker’s cyst are:
- soft lump swelling behind the knee
- pain behind the knee
- feeling of fullness or tightness when the leg is straightened
- tightness in the back of the knee
- Knee stiffness
- difficulty moving the knee joint.
How is a Baker’s cyst diagnosed?
Your doctor may suspect a Baker’s cyst when they examine your knee. An ultrasound scan is a good investigation to show a Baker’s cyst and to help exclude a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) at the same time.
What is the treatment?
If the cyst is causing no symptoms and is relatively small; no treatment is necessary and a ‘wait and see’ approach is reasonable. This is particularly the case for children where the cyst can disappear with time.
Otherwise it is important to treat the underlying knee condition such as inflammation (eg, anti-inflammatory medication for arthritis or surgery for a torn knee cartilage).
- Rest, ice treatment soft tissue therapy and physiotherapy can be helpful
- Cortisone injections into the knee joint are an option
- Aspiration is a procedure whereby a sterile needle is inserted into the cyst to drain off fluid
- For more severe cases surgery either through the arthroscope or by open surgery can cure the problem.
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If you are concerned about your condition please contact your GP or see:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/Bakers-cyst/Pages/Introduction.aspx
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