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Baker's (popliteal) cyst

Cystis poplitea (Bakeri) · Bakerova (podkolenní) cysta

What it is

Joint fluid bulging into a bursa behind the knee, usually because arthritis or a torn meniscus makes the knee overproduce it.

Symptoms & signs

  • Swelling behind the knee, tighter on standing
  • stiffness on bending
  • ache in the calf
  • sudden calf pain and swelling if it bursts (mimics a clot)

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Sudden calf swelling, redness and pain — rule out a blood clot
  • call 112 / 911 now Calf swelling with chest pain or breathlessness
  • see a doctor soon Hot, red, swollen knee with fever
  • see a doctor soon Lump that is hard, growing or throbbing

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Ultrasound — and a scan to rule out a clot if the calf swells
  • treat the cause (osteoarthritis, meniscus tear)
  • aspiration and steroid injection
  • surgery rarely

Natural & lifestyle

  • Ice and elevation
  • quadriceps and hamstring exercises
  • weight loss to unload the knee

Emerging & experimental

  • Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy
  • arthroscopic closure of the valve into the cyst

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Turmeric (curcumin) for the arthritis behind it — trials in knee osteoarthritis ease pain early / small studies
  • Glucosamine and chondroitin — trials in knee arthritis disagree mixed evidence
  • Cabbage-leaf wraps — folk remedy; soothing, untested anecdotal / traditional

ICD codes