Where is the popliteal fossa located in the body

Where is the popliteal fossa located in the body? The popliteal fossa actually refers to the area behind the knee, with the upper and lower inner and outer boundaries being the semi-tendinosus muscle and the biceps femoris muscle. Popliteal cyst is a common disease type in the popliteal fossa. Now let’s discuss popliteal cyst. Mainly discuss with you the clinical manifestations and treatment methods of popliteal cyst. Friends in need can study and discuss together.

Popliteal cyst : As early as 1829, Dupuytren proposed the name of popliteal cyst. In 1840, Adams first discussed the relationship between popliteal cyst and the semimembranosus bursa and knee joint cavity. In 1877, Dr. Ker published the classic discussion on popliteal cyst, which has continued to this day.

①Clinical manifestations : The most common popliteal cyst is a distended bursa of the rectus aureus and semimembranosus muscles, which is often connected to the posterior joint capsule. It is more common in middle-aged patients, more common in men than in women. It can lead to limited knee extension and flexion, mild pain, obvious tension and swelling, and more obvious soreness or discomfort in the popliteal fossa after walking or standing for a long time. Patients often seek medical attention for gradual swelling in the popliteal area, pain behind the knee, and occasionally cysts that compress and obstruct venous return, causing calf edema. Physical examination shows that the swelling is most obvious when the knee joint is maximally extended, the tension increases and the knee becomes hard, and it shrinks or disappears when flexed, and the tension decreases and becomes soft. When the knee is flexed and pressure is applied or continued with the hands, the cyst shrinks, proving that the cyst is connected to the joint cavity. There is no tenderness during early palpation, but there is a sense of fluctuation, it is not adhered to the skin, and the surface is smooth. Local puncture can extract viscous fluid, X-rays can show a spherical soft tissue shadow in the axilla, and knee arthrography can show the encounter between the popliteal cyst and the joint cavity. There are two types of popliteal cysts: primary and secondary. The primary type originates from the joint cavity while the joint is normal. It is mostly bilateral but not necessarily occurs at the same time. There is a tendency for recurrence after resection. The secondary type is often secondary to certain joint diseases, the most common of which are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and medial knee derangement related to the meniscus, especially those related to lesions behind the meniscus.

② Traditional treatment : For primary popliteal cysts, if there are no symptoms or the cyst is not large, it is generally not treated because there is no specific drug; if the cyst is large and symptomatic, puncture and fluid extraction or simultaneous injection of prednisolone can be performed. When the disease recurs repeatedly or cannot be cured for a long time, surgical resection can be performed, but surgical treatment is difficult and prone to recurrence. Secondary popliteal cysts should be treated according to the cause.

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