Baker’s Cyst | Knee Pain Physiotherapy East Fremantle

“A Baker’s Cyst (popliteal cyst) can be defined as a synovial fluid filled mass that is located in the popliteal fossa.”

In looking at the anatomy, the mass is often an enlarged bursa which is located beneath the inner gastrocnemius (calf) muscle, or semimembranosis (hamstring) muscle or both. It can be thought of as chronic knee joint swelling that escapes in the area between these muscles.

These cysts can be seen in both children and adults. In children, these injuries often resolve spontaneously whereas in adults, this is usually indicative of other intra-articular pathologies such as meniscal tears, ACL injuries, cartilage degeneration and arthritis. As such, physiotherapy management often involves treatment of the underlying cause (e.g. the meniscal pathology). These cysts can also be aspirated or surgically removed if they become increasingly large and symptomatic.

Our physiotherapists are experts in assessing and treating knee pain.

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