What is a Baker’s cyst?
A Baker’s cyst is also known as a popliteal cyst that is located in the popliteal area behind the knee. A Baker’s cyst is fluid that collects on the knee and tears through the cartilage in the back of the knee. It is characterized by a bulge that you can see and feel in the bend of the knee, the swelling sometimes advances on to the leg and foot. There is severe knee pain, especially in the back part of the knee and on the lateral aspects of the knee. There is tightness in the back of the knee, with difficulty in moving the joint..
I had a Baker’s cyst on my left knee. It was painful, and I could hardly move my knee joint at all. It was caused by the severe arthritis of the knee joint. I’m glad to say that I no longer suffer with it because it was removed when I had my knee replaced with a brand new joint replacement.
Baker’s cysts can occur in anyone. They are called Baker’s cysts because people that worked in bakeries often had this kind of knee problem related to being on their feet for long periods of time. I was a nurse, and being on my feet for 10 hours every day that I worked, took its toll on me also.
Your knee is built like a door hinge. Within the healthy knee synovial fluid circulates to lubricate the structures there. The healthy knee produces just the right amount of synovial fluid to keep the cartilage, tendons, and bursa lubricated. But in some cases too much synovial fluid is secreted into the knee joint and a cyst develops. As the synovial fluid continues to be secreted into the knee, the cyst enlarges and bulges out the back of the knee. This over production of synovial fluid is normally caused by the irritation of arthritis, a sports injury-such as a tear in the cartilage.
You should see a doctor about this when you are having pain and you notice swelling. Your doctor will do some tests to rule out the presence of some other problem that is in the knee. Other problems could be an aneurysm in the popliteal space, or a tumor, so you will want to rule those things out.
Your doctor may order an MRI scan to determine just what your problem is. There could be a cyst, as suspected; there also could be a blood clot or the above mentioned aneurysm or tumor. The scan is to rule out any other problems, just as much as to confirm the diagnosis. Your doctor may also order an ultrasound of the area for the same reasons. I had an ultrasound done, and I was relieved to know that I had no aneurysm or deep-vein thrombosis in the area, it was just a simple cyst-as painful as that was!
How is Baker’s cyst treated?
On rare occasions a Baker’s cyst will rupture. When that happens the fluid will leak into the calf and down toward the ankle and foot. There will be swelling, redness and severe pain associated with this. The signs and symptoms may closely resemble those of a deep-vein thrombosis, which could be life threatening. Just to be sure that it is not a blood clot, see your doctor as soon as possible.
Your doctor may order anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the inflammation. When the source of the inflammation is treated, the inflammation will decrease. Once the inflammation is gone, the knee joint will stop making a surplus of synovial fluid. The fluid remaining in the synovial sac will eventually reabsorb into the body fluids. The application of ice helps to reduce the swelling, as will the application of an ace bandage, if prescribed by the doctor.
Once your doctor determines that arthritis is the cause of your Baker’s cyst, you will need to take your weight off it until you are feeling better. You may need to use a set of crutches. Rest yourself, apply ice 3 to 4 times a day for about 30 minutes, and keep it elevated. Your doctor may instruct you to take Tylenol, Advil, Motrin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In order to rest your knee joint, you will need to become less active for awhile. Any time the arthritis flares up, you may become symptomatic with a Baker’s cyst.
Source: Mayo Clinic web page
