"The Importance of Adding Fenestration to Ultrasound-Guided Baker's Cyst Aspiration"

This study aims to evaluate whether adding a fenestration procedure to standard ultrasound-guided aspiration and corticosteroid-lidocaine injection provides additional clinical benefits for patients with symptomatic Baker's cyst associated with knee osteoarthritis. Baker's cyst is a fluid-filled swelling located behind the knee that may cause pain, stiffness, swelling, and limited mobility. Although aspiration with medication injection is commonly used to relieve symptoms, recurrence of the cyst is frequent. Fenestration is a minimally invasive technique in which small controlled openings are created in the cyst wall under ultrasound guidance to improve internal drainage and potentially reduce recurrence. In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study, participants will be assigned to one of two groups: 1. aspiration with corticosteroid and lidocaine injection, or 2. aspiration with corticosteroid and lidocaine injection plus fenestration. Pain, functional scores, cyst measurements, and recurrence will be assessed at follow-up visits at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the addition of fenestration results in better symptom improvement and lower rates of recurrence compared with standard aspiration alone.

NCT Number	NCT07385560
Lead Sponsor	Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa
Conditions	Baker Cyst, Fenestration, Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, Steroid Injection, OMERACT, Knee Osteoarthritis
Enrollment	44 participants
Start Date	2026-02-15
Primary Completion	2026-05-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-05-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-02-04