Possible Approaches to Endoscopic Treatment of Popliteal Cysts: From the Basics to Troublesome Cases

Popliteal cysts can be an oppressive symptom in patients with concomitant intra-articular knee pathologies. Because isolated treatment of intra-articular lesions is usually not sufficient to resolve the problems associated with a large symptomatic popliteal cyst, a popliteal cyst should be concurrently addressed with other knee pathologies to maximize patient outcomes. Conservative treatment and open surgical excision are associated with high rates of recurrence, so arthroscopic techniques are the preferred treatment options for recalcitrant cases. Arthroscopic communication-enlargement surgery with cyst wall removal seems to be the most effective. We present a simple and effective basic technique for arthroscopic popliteal cyst treatment and some approaches that allow management of the more demanding cases.