Baker’s Cyst

Baker’s Cyst

What is a Baker’s cyst?

A Baker’s cyst is a condition affecting the knee and results in a swelling protrusion of synovial fluid behind the knee. Symptoms of a Baker’s cyst include pain, swelling and stiffness. These cysts occur more commonly if there is another underlying issue such as osteoarthritis and is mostly prevalent in young children (ages 4-7) and elder people (ages 35-70).

The good news is that usually the cyst will improve and disappear on its own over time (cysts can last from a few months to over a few years). Very rarely, the cyst can burst and result in symptoms similar to those attributed to a deep vein thrombosis (symptoms will include swelling of the calf, itchiness and redness of the calf muscle).

Having said that, there are options available to people if they’d like to improve the recovery time or if it appears that the cyst/swelling isn’t reducing on its own over time. These include the following:

1. Treatment to the underlying issue affecting the knee

If there is an underlying issue, this needs to be addressed to minimise the recurrence of the cyst as well it’ll help reduce the symptoms experienced by the cyst. For example, if the person suffers from osteoarthritis, a steroid injection being administered will assist in pain and inflammation scale.

Also, if there is a mechanical issue, such as a meniscal tear, treating the mechanical issue with physical therapy will also help manage the cyst.

2. Treatment to assist with the symptoms experienced

There are various treatments available to help assist with the symptoms experienced (mostly for the management of pain and swelling):

• NSAID’s: anti-inflammatories can be very useful in helping to reduce the swelling and pain experienced. NSAID’s can have side-effects so a doctor or pharmacist needs to prescribe them to ensure compatibility and awareness of risks.
• Cryotherapy: ice and off-loading the knee with also assist in reduction of swelling
• Non-weight bearing: if the cyst is exceedingly painful, crutches can be used to offload any pressure felt on the affected side. Using crutches does have its own secondary issues over time so normal biomechanical movement should be encouraged as soon as possible.
• Physiotherapy: physio is useful in ensuring knee mobility and strength is maintained and thereby greatly improving the recovery time.

A medical practitioner may suspect a Baker’s cyst upon examination. The obvious sign is swelling behind the knee. A simple test to show the presence of a baker’s cyst would be to shine light through the swollen area. If the light travels through the area, then it is symptomatic of fluid swelling (synovial fluid). Other options for a diagnosis would be an ultrasound (this’ll also exclude the presence of a DVT – deep vein thrombosis) or, if necessary, an MRI can be used to make the diagnosis.