What's a "bucket-handle" meniscus tear?
Tuesday April 18, 2006
Meniscus tears come in different shapes and sizes. One type is called a "bucket-handle" tear. These large tears tend to occur in younger patients, and are always traumatic injuries (compared to degenerative tears seen in patients with early signs of wear and tear in the knee).
A bucket-handle tear is a tear around the rim of the meniscus, causing the central portion (the bucket-handle) to displace into the joint. These types of tears generally involve large amounts of the meniscus, and are often amenable to meniscus repair (rather than removal of the meniscus). Patients with these bucket-handle tears may have limited motion of the knee joint if the meniscus tear is large enough to get caught inside the knee.
Comments
Boy do I ever have a story about my bucket tear. I was at the gym and inbetween machines, my right knee locked up on me. At first I didn’t know if it was a tendon or ligament (it wasn’t my kneecap, which had been the case in the past). A MRI revealed a bucket tear in my meniscus. The pain had been horrendous, to say the least. I wouldn’t wish that kind of pain on anyone.
Boy do I ever have a story about my bucket tear. I was at the gym and inbetween machines, my right knee locked up on me. At first I didn’t know if it was a tendon or ligament (it wasn’t my kneecap, which had been the case in the past). A MRI revealed a bucket tear in my meniscus. The pain had been horrendous, to say the least. I wouldn’t wish that kind of pain on anyone
I hear ya bud. I had injured my knee at a grappling tournament and 8 months later I am doing the warm-up exercises before class and during a crawl/push up exercise I cringe over in pain while holding my left knee. It was not pleasant. So to make a long story short… My knee will not bend back straight and I am on crutches. Scheduled surgery for tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Unfortunate events….. was trying to get up from a squat position at an extremely hasty pace. Lost balance and yup here i am joining the bucket handle tear club…… Getting operated tomorrow wish me luck people…..
I was told by my general doctor not to bother with the surgery that goes along with the bucket handle tear. I did explain to him that I don’t know how it happen. Although I go to work out about 2 or 3 times a week. But don’t go overboard…no running, heavy lifting, etc. The Mri back in April revealed the tear and the Orthopaedic doc said definitely to get the work done on the knee. What to do.? After walking around and sometimes after working out my knee gets stiff but I am able to straighten it out? Any comments or suggestions.???
I just had the bucket tear surgery yesterday, and let me tell you, the pain is close to nothing, I already have good motion, I can bear weight onto my leg, all in all it was a good decision. The doctor said I’d be able to walk completely normally and even run in 2 weeks. GO FOR IT!
love to hear how the folks with surgery are progressing…my son (17) just did this last tuesday while wrestling and scheduled for surgery next week….as a rising senior w/ football, wrestling and lax in front of him – he is devistated….would love to know how you all are progressing..thank you
I’ve been hobbling around for five years with bucket handle tear and trying my best to stay active with baseball and golf. Constant pain and ice packs at night. At age 57 I finally had enough and agreed to sacrifice some activity for a while in order to have surgery last week. Can’t describe the difference. I’m very mobile. Still not real good with stairs. Back to walking pain free for a mile each day on the beach. Problem is..I waited too long and now have some “bone on bone” wear and probably will only get five years before a knee replacement. My advice to those out there is to get this surgery done. Get it done quickly and behave yourself post-surgery.
Guys any of you had an ACL tear before the bucket handle tear happened. i Have a torn ACL and i was running with my brace and all of a sudden my knee locked ( i couldnt bent it nor fully extend it ) it was ” the bucket handle tear ” now my knee goes back to its normal condition – and all of a sudden with out any alarm ( the miniscus gets caught in the knee space ) and the sas story happens again ” i cant bend it – fully extend it or walk right ” i wana do my operation … but i wana find time to do both at the same time and its kinda hard for me now .. anyone of you guys knows some temporary thingy that can prevent the meniscus in the bucket handle tear to get caught inside the knee
have had 2 arthroscopic surgeries, the last one bucket handle dr. said removed due to my age (52) instead of repair, I am still having loads of problems with my leg,back of knee feels weird all the time, hurts, had a lot of trouble with the foot post surgery, couldn’t walk for a while, took Voltaren helped a lot, still bothered by leg pain and I guess some fear of locking up again, not able to get back into exercising like I used to, every time I try, it begins to hurt like heck and I am losing a lot of sleep over my leg pain.I think the dr. may have screwed me up. any suggestions from anyone?
I am a college baseball player. I have been a catcher since I was like 6 and last year my knee was sore and sometimes swelled but I figured it was just wear and tear. A couple weeks later I was running a light jog in warmups and boom I went down grasping my left knee. I got an MRI a couple of weeks later and the Doc said I had a buckethandle tear in my medial meniscus. The Doc did the surgery and I dont think this is the correct term but like Stapled it together. I was on crutches with no weight on the leg for 6 weeks. Then for 4 weeks for assisted walking while I was in rehab. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. I am now catching again and everything is good.
Hey everybody.
Tore my lateral meniscus in mid Septemeber ‘08. Excruciating pain, couldn’t straighten of bare weight. Went to the ER, and was scheduled to meet with Orthopedic Surgeon. Got a little better and was able to walk around but not fully straighten. Sent for an MRI which revealed a bucket handle tear of my lateral meniscus in my left knee. Had surgery to repair the tair on October 2, and spent 6 weeks with no weight bareing. Came off crutches the other day, and am getting mobile again. Feeling pretty good; so much better than before the surgery. Recuperation is long, and physical theory is sore. Deffinitely recommend the surgery but follow the surgeone orders for post op recovery. And ice goes a very long way. Repairing a tear means longer recovery, but longer knee life. Removal of torn piece eases immediate pain and has much shorter recovery time, but will lead to very premature arthritis.
Sorry about the typo’s.
Its late
Back in February I tore my ACL wrestling day before my regional tournament.. I got it reconstructed did my rehab, was lifting and running and getting ready for wrestling season. In my training one month my leg gave out when I was jump roping on my reconstructed leg. As it turned out I had a bucket handle tear in my medial meniscus and I just got it repaired on less than a week ago. So far the pain has been less and the recovery has been much quicker by comparison. It’s been one week and I can bend it 100 degrees and can almost completely straighten it
I tore my ACL two years ago and was getting back to my regular self. Then, while wearing my brace my knee just locks, excruciating pain, can’t move it at all. I went to the doctor the next day and got an MRI which revealed the bucket handle tear and possible ACL damage. I’ve been in an immobilizer going on 2 weeks now. It is annoying but limits the pain. I was supposed to get “immediate” surgery but it keeps getting rescheduled (talk about frustrating, I guess it really isn’t that immediate!). I just wanted to get some opinions to make sure that by walking around on it I’m not doing more damage until they can finally get me in for surgery. Thanks!
My 4 yr. old daughter took off and ran away from me and wife through a parking lot so I had to chase her down. As I was running after her, I felt a pop in my right knee and kept running after her. If I didnt, who knows what might have happened to her. When I finally reached her, I felt a gush of warmth throught the knee and it swelled up quick. After a month of waiting for surgery (Kaiser!) If got a little better but no to the point where I could return to work. I’m a bell man. I just had surgery 4 days ago and my knee is still swollen but getting better. Not too much pain involved afterward just some discomfort.
Im getting an mri tomorrow but my knee will not go all the way straight no matter how hard i try it hurts pretty bad but if my knee is bent it doesnt hurt at all or if it is bent to much it hurts bad to if anyone can answer this it would be very helpful to me
I am a 30 yr old male, very active running in college approx 60 miles a week. now only 15 to 20. I am waiting on my second surgery… (on my right knee) First one was completed on my left when i was 26, both needed itdone then but the left was worse… while in recovery the doc asked if i wanted crutches or not i told him well yes dont i need them? i used the crutches to go up to my second story apartment and placed them in the closet, and never used them after. i did intense physical therapy(doing everything plus some that they told me to do.) In 4 weeks i was cleared to run again. no pain at all. but i will tell you i did at least 6 hours of work-outs a day. i built up the strength in the right but it is time. Very confident anyone doubting the surgery do it. no more middle of the night lock outs for me!!
I tore my meniscus playing volleyball back in April, but the docs thought it could handle some PT before surgery. It kept shifting out of place and so they took another look at the MRI. Then they said I tore my ACL too, so we scheduled the surgery. Anyways, when they got in there, they saw it was a bucket handle tear only but all the walking and running I had done one it shredded it to pieces, and wasn’t repairable. Surgery was a breeze though; I was walking around the next day.
I am looking at having ACL & medial meniscus repaired in a few weeks. How long will I be on crutches? My husband will have his meniscus repaired first part of April. Are we crazy?
I had acl recon and menisectomy (bucket handle tear removal) sept last year. Was on crutches for about 6 weeks, first 2 are quite painful. But I would say do it, I’m 5months post op and it feels great. I’m back cycling for half hour a day, running a bit and should be playing competitive football(uk) in sept. and I cant wait!
I original damaged my knee in 1981. Had 6 weeks in plaster, followed by physio. It took up to a year before I could kneel. About 8 years ago It did it again,then again about 4 years ago. A lot of fear had developed over time, and each time my knee locked with horrible pain it took up to 6 months to get back to normal. I used to sit cross legged on the floor, squat etc but not any more.
At no point had I been offered an MRI, Just an X Ray which showed nothing.
When my knee went again, when asleep I couldn’t believe it. I have now had an MRI and it shows a probable Bucket Handle Tear to the laterial meniscus, with the rear horn absent. 4 months on I can walk, straighten my leg and almost squat. I am due to have an arthroscopy but am frightened it may go wrong. At 52 I want to be active and just do what I used to do without the fear of it locking again,
5 and half years ago i was playing football and my knee went, i went to the hospital that day and they told me i sprained my knee, the other day my knee completely went and i had to have a MRI the results come through and ive ruptured my crucuit ligaments my lateral ligament a bucket handle tears and a ruptured cist.
came down the stairs and knee locked coudn’t bend it for three hours or more, hurt like mad, went to the doctors next week, put me on nuroxen, for two weeks, still hurts he now has put me on them for 4 weeks and given me a support bandage and codydromols. says he thinks it is a bucket tear and possible cartlidge damage. Hurts like mad for the last three days, could have cried. Don’t know what to do, any suggestions.
hello i have had a acl in the left knee (1999 pattela graft) and right knee (2002 hamstring graft) 3 weeks ago whilst running backwards and turning i heard a click/knocking noise out of my right knee and thought s**t.
i could not bend it at 1st and it became swollen.
i have had a mri and been diagnosed with the following.
bucket-handle tear of medial meniscus with displacment into intercondylar notch,large joint effusion with presumed lateral meniscal tear.
up for a op in 2 weeks any thoughts anyone. apparently depends on the tear with respect to recovery time.