Knee pain....?

Question

Has anyone ever heard of a Baker's cyst?! My orthopedic surgeon just told me that after looking at my MRI, this is what I have. I plan on calling him to get more information tomorrow but I was just wondering if anyone had any experiences with this?!

Answer 1

Baker's cyst is usually the result of a problem with your knee joint, such as arthritis or a cartilage tear. Both conditions can cause your knee to produce too much fluid, which can lead to a Baker's cyst. Treating the probable underlying problem usually relieves the swelling and discomfort of a Baker's cyst.

If the cyst is very large and causes a lot of pain, your doctor may use the following treatments:

Physical therapy. Icing, a compression wrap, and crutches may help reduce pain and swelling. Gentle range of motion and strengthening exercises for the muscles around your knee may also help to reduce your symptoms and preserve knee function.

Fluid drainage. Your doctor may drain the fluid from the knee joint using a needle. This is called needle aspiration.

Medication. Your doctor may inject a corticosteroid medication, such as cortisone, into your knee to reduce the volume of fluid being produced. This may relieve pain, but it doesn't always prevent recurrence of the cyst.
Typically though, doctors treat the underlying cause rather than the Baker's cyst itself.

If your doctor determines that a cartilage tear is causing the overproduction of synovial fluid, he or she may recommend surgery to remove or repair the torn cartilage.

In some instances, particularly if you have osteoarthritis, the cyst may not go away even after your doctor treats the underlying cause. If the cyst doesn't get better, causes pain and interferes with your ability to bend your knee, or if — in spite of aspirations — fluid in the cyst hinders knee function, you may need to be evaluated for surgery to remove the cyst.

If your doctor determines that arthritis is causing the cyst, he or she may advise you to take some or all of the following steps to reduce the inflammation and lessen the production of synovial fluid:

Follow the P.R.I.C.E. principles. These letters stand for protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation. Protect your leg by using crutches to take the weight off the knee joint and to allow pain-free walking. Rest your leg. Ice the inflamed area. Compress your knee with a wrap. And elevate your leg, especially at night.

Try nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen. NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve, others) and similar drugs can help relieve pain, as can acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Prescription NSAIDs can provide higher dosages and greater potency than over-the-counter NSAIDs.
Scale back your physical activity. Doing so will reduce irritation of your knee joint.

Answer 2

A Baker's cyst is formed by extra synovial fluid that surrounds your knee joint in the space behind your knee. The fluid gets trapped and forms a membranous sac. You may feel a slight bulge in what we call the popliteal space. It is the posterior crease just above your calf muscles and below your upper leg. Some Baker's cysts are asymptomatic or don't cause any pain. Some people will have posterior knee pain when straightening the knee (extension). Treatment usually starts conservatively with fluid removal and a cortisone injection. If this does not do the trick then surgical removal can be done, but is not done on a routine basis.

Answer 3

I read a question on YA with a link to it and it sounds like a fluid buildup in the bursa...probably just take a needle and drain the fluid (just guessing)...