A 73 y.o. woman comes in after a fall and has severe knee pain.

what do you see?

Our patient had a Baker’s cyst and a prepatellar hematoma.  She also has osteoarthritis. The cyst can be painful and can rupture into the calf mimicking a dvt.  Rarely,  the swelling can cause a dvt or compartment syndrome.

Baker’s cyst and prepatellar hematoma

Baker’s cysts rarely require treatment  and are often associated with arthritis as in this case or meniscal cartilage tear. If they are very symptomatic they can be aspirated and steroids are injected.

 Our patient was seen in the ortho clinic following her ED CTscan and managed conservatively.  She has not yet had her knee replacement.

bakers cyst showing the valve where it is leaking from the joint.

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Snir N, Hamula M, et al. Popliteal cyst excission using open posterior approach after arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy. Arthrosc Tech 2013 Aug 2(3) e295-e298.