Knee injury/Bakers cyst

[irishgal]

Hi everyone-
Back in April I "did something" to my knee, running in the woods with my dogs. It was an impact injury, not a twist or pivot, hurt really bad and I was unable to straighten it all the way despite week of ice, Advil etc.

Because of Covid I decided since I could sort of walk I would not book with a specialist until this month.

A rather disappointing experience with the ortho doc, he said he didn't know what the injury was but I had developed a "bakers cyst" secondary to the injury. He went on to say they can be drained but that "is not something he would do".

Doing a bit of research, it looks like sometimes they go away, sometimes they linger for years.

Anyone had this, if so, what did you do?

 

[Montecfo]

Yes I have had them. As disturbing as they look, mine gradually reduced all by itself with no further issues. This is usually what happens. At the moment I am not really sure which knee it was.

Good news: they are usually not serious.

 

[COcheesehead]

I had one years ago from a skiing incident. It took a while for it to go away, then no problems for years. The area now, however, seems to get tingly for no reason from time to time.

 

[irishgal]

Yes I have had them. As disturbing as they look, mine gradually reduced all by itself with no further issues. This is usually what happens. At the moment I am not really sure which knee it was.

Good news: they are usually not serious.

Thankfully I can't see the back of my knee! Thanks for letting me know yours resolved.

 

[irishgal]

I had one years ago from a skiing incident. It took a while for it to go away, then no problems for years. The area now, however, seems to get tingly for no reason from time to time.

Did you do anything to get it to resolve or just let nature do its thing?

 

[COcheesehead]

Did you do anything to get it to resolve or just let nature do its thing?

I saw a doctor and I don't think we took any course of action. I had lots of bruising initially. I had the bump for a long time.

 

[Mark1]

A rather disappointing experience with the ortho doc, he said he didn't know what the injury was but I had developed a "bakers cyst" secondary to the injury. He went on to say they can be drained but that "is not something he would do".

I had a Bakers Cyst about 8 or 9 years ago. It took maybe 1 to 2 years to completely go away. I also went to an Orthopedic Specialist and he recommended that we just let the body fix it and ultimately it just went away on its own. I might think about it once a year while exercising when I bend my knee a certain way, but I have had no real issues the past 7-8 years.

I was not disappointed at all to hear that I didn't have under the knife to fix it.

Just be patient as it will take awhile.

 

[Ronstar]

I occasionally have a baker’s cyst and it comes and goes on it’s own. I usually get it when I run too much, and it goes away when I quit running for a while.

 

[irishgal]

I had a Bakers Cyst about 8 or 9 years ago. It took maybe 1 to 2 years to completely go away. I also went to an Orthopedic Specialist and he recommended that we just let the body fix it and ultimately it just went away on its own. I might think about it once a year while exercising when I bend my knee a certain way, but I have had no real issues the past 7-8 years.

I was not disappointed at all to hear that I didn't have under the knife to fix it.

Just be patient as it will take awhile.

Thanks!!

 

[Scusan]

Curious if you got an MRI to see what's going on in there.

My Dad was diagnosed with a Baker's Cyst in 2006. Got it cut out, they damaged a nerve (which is easy to do in that area). That was the start of his walking/gait issues. He's 89 now.

I had a cyst behind my knee that prevented me from bending it all the way. Got an MRI and even I could see the cyst and a meniscus tear. Scheduled surgery for it. Cancelled the surgery because the docs couldn't tell me if I was in network or which practitioner would do the anesthesia. It was a total circus. Over a year and a half, I got to where I could bend my knee OK and now can even run some on the treadmill. Glad I didn't have the surgery.

I'd encourage you to get a study done so you know what your diagnosis is and then spend some time researching the prognosis and treatment options and efficacy.

Good Luck.

 

[O2Bfree]

I have one and am not sure exactly when it appeared. My surgeon noticed it when I had a minor procedure for a torn meniscus last year. It doesn't hurt and doesn't seem to be changing size.

One thing I've learned though is that if the cyst ruptures, it can present symptoms similar to a blood clot in the leg, with swelling, pain, and redness. A ruptured cyst is not serious, but a clot certainly is. It's good to know some differences in the symptoms so you can seek emergency medical treatment, or not. For example:

https://www.healthline.com/health/ruptured-bakers-cyst#symptoms

If your Baker’s cyst ruptures, you will most likely experience a sharp pain in your calf and you might feel a sensation similar to water running down the back of your leg. You might also see what appears to be a bruise on your inner ankle.

Might be good to err on the side of caution and see a doctor right away.

 

[irishgal]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I’m in the middle of moving to another state so once I get settled I’ll decide next steps. No pun intended lol.