A comparison of clinical efficacy between different surgical approaches for popliteal cyst

BACKGROUND: A popliteal cyst is a benign swelling with synovial fluid located behind the knee joint. Popliteal cysts are often asymptomatic; however, symptomatic cysts may cause pain and may need surgery interventions. Here, we performed a perspective study to compare the clinical efficacy of different surgical approaches, including traditional open excision and advanced arthroscopic treatment. METHODS: A total of 76 patients with popliteal cysts were assigned into three groups by a randomized complete block design. Group A included 32 patients (15 males and 17 females, age 55.3 ± 9.8 years) who received arthroscopic internal drainage of the cysts. Group B included 19 patients (9 males and 10 females, age 55.4 ± 7.6 years) who received open excision after arthroscopic treatment. Group C included 25 patients (11 males and 14 females, age 54.2 ± 8.5 years) who received open excision. All patients were followed up for an average of 13.7 ± 2.4 months. The following parameters were compared: the time of surgery, during surgery, the length of incision, the incision healing rate, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the hospitalization time, the rate of recovery to level 0–1 cysts, the recurrence rate, and the Lysholm score. RESULTS: Group A exhibited significant better outcomes compared to groups B and C in the length of incision (1.6 ± 0.1 cm), the incision healing rate (100%), the postoperative VAS score (2.7 ± 1.2), the hospitalization time (7.8 ± 2.8 days), and the Lysholm score at the last follow-up (85.8 ± 5.2). The recurrence rate is significantly lower in groups A (3.1%) and B (5.2%) than group C (40%) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic treatment for popliteal cysts exhibited better clinical outcomes with minimal invasion and can be recommended for future clinical interventions.