A poultice baker cyst in the back of the knee, what kind of disease is it?

Feb 21, 2025

When I feel knee pain, I only think of knee arthritis, where the front of my knee is sore. However, sometimes various diseases around the knee occur due to excessive knee use or external impact, and among them, if there is pain pulling the back of the knee or catching something like a water bump, you should suspect 'baker cyst'.

Baker's cyst refers to a disease in which a mucus occurs between muscles and ligaments due to excessive secretion of synovial fluid that helps the knee joint move smoothly. It is caused by osteoarthritis, inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, cartilage damage and aging caused by meniscus cartilage rupture, or genetic factors.

Lim Jae-chang, director of the Incheon Nanuri Hospital Joint Center, explained, `Baker cyst refers to a disease that occurs like a lump on the back of the knee, and although it can be cured naturally depending on the cause of its occurrence, cyst that gradually grows in size can adversely affect daily life, so quick action is needed.'

Baker cysts are treated differently depending on the size of the water lice. As there are many causes of cysts, it is important to accurately diagnose and identify the patient's condition and proceed with appropriate treatment.

Baker cysts disappear on their own over time, but if they are caught in your hands or are accompanied by pain, it is recommended to receive surgical treatment to remove them. Baker's cyst surgery is carried out through joint endoscopy, and after a minimum incision of less than 5mm, joint endoscopy and surgical instruments with special small cameras can be inserted to clearly remove areas that are difficult to check with the naked eye.

In some cases, simple treatment to drain the cyst is performed, but this is not a fundamental treatment, and sometimes the water lice occurs again. Therefore, it is important to remove the baker cyst and find the cause of the cyst and treat it completely.

Director Lim Jae-chang advised, `If a baker cyst is caused by arthritis or meniscus rupture, it is important to treat the lesion together.' `After removing the cyst, you should refrain from squatting or putting pressure on the knee joint, and when using excessively, you should relieve the burden on the knee joint by stretching enough.'

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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.

A poultice baker cyst in the back of the knee, what kind of disease is it?

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