14 Things to Know About Popliteal (Baker’s) Cyst

Are you feeling tightness and sensations of discomfort in the back of your knee? If it feels like you have a bulge sticking out from behind the knee, then you have what’s known as a “Baker’s cyst.”

This cyst forms when a knee injury leads to the formation of a fluid-filled sac in the popliteal region behind the knee joint. The condition typically occurs when the patient experiences an injury to the joint, such as hyperextension of the knee.

The size of the cyst depends on the extent of the injury. However, in most cases, Baker’s cysts occur due to mild trauma to the joint. In most cases, Baker’s cysts will clear without any medical intervention.

Baker’s cysts don’t limit your mobility as severely as other knee injuries to the ligament and meniscus, and most patients can walk around normally without much discomfort. The cysts clear in anything from 2 to 4-weeks, depending on their size, as well as the age and health of the patient.

Here are eight things you should know about Baker’s cysts.

1.    Symptoms

Patients develop a Bakers cyst due to trauma to the knee. This trauma can occur through a variety of means, from sports injuries – to getting out of the car and slipping on a patch of ice. Regardless of the reason for the damage, the patient finds that they develop swelling in the back of the knee.

In most cases, the inflammation and swelling associated with the condition do not cause the patient any pain. However, if the patient experiences a severe injury, they may develop a large Baker’s cyst that places pressure on the ligaments when hyperextending the knee.

Some patients with large Bakers cysts may find it challenging to flex the knee to their normal range of motion. These symptoms of discomfort and tightness may increase after standing or walking for long periods.

In most cases, doctors recommend that patients treat the symptoms using OTC anti-inflammatories and plenty of rest.