You can feel a popliteal cyst which is often felt as a lump or a bulge behind your knee and is most often in the popliteal fossa which is the hollow area behind your knee.
A popliteal cyst may also feel like a water filled balloon and some people might not feel any pain or even notice the cyst is there and others may have pain, swelling and stiffness with the popliteal cyst.
The age that you get a popliteal cyst is most often between the ages of 35 to 70 years of age in adults and between the ages of 4 to 7 years old in children.
However you can get a popliteal cyst at any age but they are more common in adults with underlying knee conditions such as arthritis or other knee injuries.
And in children popliteal cysts are often idiopathic which means there's no clear cause or can be related to knee injuries.
Popliteal cysts are very common and are more common in adults than in children and most particularly in those with knee pain.
The prevalence of popliteal cysts ranges from as little as 10 % to 40 % in adults and sometimes as high as 40 % in adults that have chronic knee pain.
Popliteal cysts can also occur in children although popliteal cysts are not as common in children as they are in adults and the prevalence of popliteal cysts in children is only between 2% to 4%.
Popliteal cysts are also known as Baker's cysts and are fluid filled cysts that form a lump at the back of your knee.
A popliteal cyst is caused by excess fluid in the knee joint building up behind your knee and forming swelling.
A popliteal cyst is also known as a Baker's cyst.
The overproduction of the fluid in the knee joint that builds up behind the knee that results in a popliteal cyst can be caused by several things which include arthritis and other underlying conditions, inflammation and even injuries to the knee or knee joint.
Knee injuries such as meniscal tears or tears in the cartilage of your knee and most particularly the posterior horn of the medial meniscus are a common cause of popliteal cysts.
Ligament injuries such as tears in ligaments such as the MCL, ACL, LCL or even the PCL can also trigger the buildup of fluid and lead to popliteal cysts.
And other injuries such as trauma to the knee which can include dislocations, sprains and fractures can also inflame the joint and lead to fluid production and popliteal cysts.
And Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid arthritis can cause inflammation and damage within your knee joint and lead to increased fluid production and lead to potential formation of popliteal cysts.
And infection such as infectious arthritis within the knee joint can also cause inflammation and fluid accumulation and lead to popliteal cysts.
Various forms of arthritis which include rheumatoid arthritis, gout and osteoarthritis are all contributors that can lead to development of popliteal cysts.
Psoriatic arthritis and septic arthritis are also forms of arthritis that can cause popliteal cysts.
Psoriatic arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis which affects your joints and includes your knee an dcan increase fluid production which can lead to popliteal cysts.
And septic arthritis is a bacterial infection in your knee joint and can lead to increased fluid production and the formation of popliteal cysts.
Repetitive stress injuries and even infections can cause inflammation and fluid build and lead to popliteal cysts.
The best way to get rid of a popliteal cyst is to see a doctor who can drain the fluid from the cyst using a needle.
To reduce the size of the popliteal cyst, a doctor can drain the fluid from the popliteal cyst using a needle.
This is called needle aspiration and is often performed with ultrasound guidance.
If a joint problem is causing the popliteal cyst, arthroscopic surgery may be performed to repair the problem.