Bodyworks: Meniscal Cyst

Symptoms
You will notice the formation of a painful, solid swelling on the outer side of the knee joint. You may have had some direct trauma on the site some time previously.

Signs
The visible swelling is most prominent when the knee is held in a slightly bent position. It feels so solid that it may be mistaken for bones.

Medical investigations
Investigation of the cyst is rarely required beyond observation at surgical removal.

What else could it be?
A tear of the collateral ligament over the cyst or an iliotibial friction band problem should be fairly easy to rule out.

Medical treatment

Self-treatment
is impractical – medical attention will be surgical if the injury causes enough pain to warrant it. It is not always practical to remove the cyst without also taking some of the underlying cartilage.

Can you run through it?/Recovery time
As pain is the limiting factor, some runners will attempt to run through a meniscal cyst. Surgery and appropriate physiotherapy with quadriceps exercises should mean that you can be running fluently within a month or so.