Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about Baker's Sists.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero tofinals.com slash baker's cyst

or in the orthopaedic section of the zero definals surgery

book. So let's get straight into it. Baker's cysts are also called popliteal cysts. A baker's cyst is a

fluid-filled sack in the popliteal fossa causing a lump or swelling at the back of the knee. The popliteal fossa, causing a lump or swelling at the back of the knee.

The popliteal fossa is the diamond-shaped hollow area at the back of the knee that's formed by

four structures. The semimbrinosis and semi-tendinosis tendons form the superior medial border, the biceps femores tendon

forms the superior lateral border, the medial head of the gastronymus muscle forms the inferior

medial border, and the lateral head of the gastronymus muscle forms the inferior lateral border.

Let's talk about the pathophysiology.

In adults, baker's cysts are usually secondary to degenerative changes or wear and tear

in the knee joint.

They can be associated with meniscal tears, which is an important underlying cause,

osteoarthritis, other knee injuries and inflammatory arthritis, for example rheumatoid arthritis. Baker's cysts are formed

by synovial fluid squeezed out of the knee joint and collecting in the popliteal fossa.

A connection between the synovial fluid in the joint and the baker's cyst can remain,

which allows the cyst to continue enlarging as more fluid collects there.

Baker's cysts are contained within the soft tissues and they don't have their own epithelial lining, which is an important

feature when it comes to management because it's not possible to remove the entire cyst because it

doesn't have its own lining. Let's talk about the presentation. Patients may present with

symptoms localized to the popliteal fossa, with pain or discomfort,

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