Baker's Cyst - Disease, Therapies, Diagnostic Procedures, Causes, Symptoms, Definition

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Baker´s cyst.

Baker´s cyst. Swelling in the area behind the knee joint

Apart from marked functional impairment, pain and disease localised in the knee joint, a large number of patients complain of localised swelling in the area behind the knee joint (popliteal space), with more or less severe impairment caused by the local bulging.

What is a Baker's cyst?

Image (left): Popiliteal space showing the typical location of the cyst. Image (right): Knee viewed from the side - displacement of blood vessels and nerves

A Baker's cyst is a cavity lined with mucous membrane and filled with a gelatinous fluid, located in most cases on the inside of the space behind the knee (Latin: popilitea, as a result of which a Baker's cyst is also known as a popliteal cyst). The cyst extends from the capsule of the knee joint between the lateral muscles and is connected to the joint via a stalk-like structure. The cyst was first described by William Morrant Baker, a surgeon from London (1836 - 1896).