Structural factors associated with Baker's cyst volume in degenerative knees: A large MRI-based cohort study.

Cohort studyJournal of orthopaedic surgery (Hong Kong)· 2026

Structural factors associated with Baker's cyst volume in degenerative knees: A large MRI-based cohort study.

Çağlar Tuna Issi, Muhammed Furkan Darilmaz, Mustafa Bulut … Serkan Güler

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OrthopedicsCohort studyDiagnosisQ2IF 1.8

Knee structural factors together explain only 17.8% of Baker's cyst volume variation.

Structural factors associated with Baker's cyst volume in degenerative knees: A large MRI-based cohort study.

Çağlar Tuna Issi … Serkan Güler

Journal of orthopaedic surgery (Hong Kong) · 2026

Purpose

To evaluate structural factors associated with Baker's cyst volume and determine whether cyst enlargement is related to medial meniscus posterior root tear (medial meniscus posterior root tear), medial meniscus extrusion (medial meniscus extrusion), posterior tibial slope (posterior tibial slope), and radiographic osteoarthritis severity.

Methods

This retrospective study included 876 knee MRI examinations with MRI-confirmed Baker's cysts after predefined exclusions.

n = 876 knee MRI examinations

17.8%

Results

17.8%

knee factors barely explain cyst size, other unmeasured factors drive it more

n = 876 knee MRI examinations

More results

ResultsMMPRT was independently associated with larger Baker's cyst volume (p = 0.004).

Greater posterior tibial slope was also associated with increased cyst volume, with each 1° increase corresponding to a significant volume increase (p = 0.012).

More results

Increasing Kellgren-Lawrence grade remained independently associated with larger cyst volume (p < 0.001), and medial meniscus extrusion showed an independent but modest association (p = 0.044).

ICC values ranged from 0.79 to 0.91.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Baker's cyst enlargement is associated with medial meniscus posterior root tear, increased posterior tibial slope, greater medial meniscus extrusion, and increasing osteoarthritis severity.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Larger cysts may prompt careful evaluation of the medial meniscus posterior root and degenerative joint burden on routine knee MRI, but cyst volume should be interpreted together with other structural imaging findings.

Structural factors associated with Baker's cyst volume in degenerative knees: A large MRI-based cohort study.

Structural factors associated with Baker's cyst volume in degenerative knees: A large MRI-based cohort study.

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