What is the importance of Subchondral cysts in Osteoarthritis?

Answer 1

A Subchondral cysts are fluid-filled sacs extruding from the joint. They consist of thickened joint material, primarily hyaluronic acid, a substance found in the fluid that normally lubricates the joint. The cysts most commonly occur over the end or middle finger joints and represent the early phases of osteoarthritis of those joints. Usually the cysts (but not the OA itself) will improve on their own with time. In the meantime, if they are tender, taking an NSAID or avoiding activities that aggravate the particular joint may help. Usually leaving the cysts alone is the best treatment; they should not be lanced or removed, because doing so is not necessary and would put you at risk of complications such as infection or poor wound healing. Importance, guess they aid in cushioning the joints, instead of the normal joint fluid?