Baker's cyst, or popliteal cyst, is a fluid-filled mass that is a distention of a preexisting bursa in the popliteal fossa, most commonly the gastrocnemio-semimembranosus bursa. This bursa is unique in that it communicates with the knee joint, unlike other periarticular bursae, via an opening in the joint capsule posterior to the medial femoral condyle. Many have theorized that this opening cre...

The authors evaluated risk factors potentially associated with the development of popliteal artery atherosclerosis in a population-based study and compared them with factors linked to carotid wall intimal-medial thickness. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study is a longitudinal investigation of cardiovascular disease in 15,800 individuals. The present analyses are based on the ba...

INTRODUCTION Popliteal venous aneurysms are uncommon but potentially fatal vascular disorders. They can be symptomatic or asymptomatic, mimicking different conditions. Popliteal venous aneurysms are possible sources of embolism. CASE PRESENTATION A 68-year-old woman presented at a rural primary health care unit in Crete, Greece, reporting local symptoms of discomfort in the right popliteal fo...

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome is an important, albeit infrequent, cause of severe disability among young adults and athletes with anomalous anatomic relationships of the musculotendinous structures surrounding the popliteal artery. We report a case where duplex ultrasonography and dynamic magnetic resonance arteriography was used to diagnose popliteal artery entrapment. We used a posteri...

The popliteal fossa is a narrow intermuscular space posterior to the knee joint that is bounded by biceps femoris tendon proximolaterally, semimembranosus muscle proximomedially, and medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius muscle distally. The popliteal artery is a continuation of the femoral artery. It begins at the opening (hiatus magnus) in the adductor magnus muscle and runs downward ...

A 48-year old man presented with left popliteal pain. A 2.2×1.6 cm sized saccular aneurysm at the level of the left popliteal fossa was diagnosed by ultrasonography. Tangential aneurysmectomy and popliteal vein repair was performed uneventfully. The patient fared well for a year without symptoms. Popliteal vein aneurysms are rare and typically found in patients with fatal thromboembolic feature...

Popliteal lymph node dissection is performed when grossly metastatic nodal disease is encountered in the popliteal fossa or after microscopic metastasis is found in interval sentinel nodes during clinical staging of cutaneous malignant melanoma. Initially, an S-shaped incision is made to gain access to the popliteal fossa. A careful en bloc removal of fat tissue and lymph nodes is made to prese...

INTRODUCTION The role of popliteal cysts and subgastrocnemius bursitis in knee joint homeostasis is uncertain. The aim of this study is to describe cross-sectional associations between popliteal cysts, subgastrocnemius bursitis, knee symptoms and structural abnormalities in older adults. METHODS A cross-sectional sample of 900 randomly-selected subjects (mean age 63 years, 48% female) were st...

Popliteal cysts are swellings in the popliteal fossa due to enlargement of the gastrocnemius semimembranous bursa. These cysts might burst, and they usually rupture posteriorly and inferiorly with severe pain in the calf. We describe a patient with popliteal cyst that dissected proximally and ruptured in the soft tissue of the thigh.