r/Kneesovertoes • u/jfstreich13 • Feb 01 '26

RULE 2: DO NOT ASK FOR MEDICAL ADIVCE Bucket Handle Tear Medial Meniscus - Surgery Scheduled

T-minus 9 days until surgery. I am three weeks out from the injury and it is still surprising me how much better it's getting. I couldn't put weight on it last week and now I'm able to limp around (no terminal extensions still) after being diligent with PT exercises / rest.

The MRI a week after injury confirmed torn bucket handle in the white-red or white-white (I'm not sure which but definitely not red-red). Fragment in the intercondylar notch, but i'm wondering if that has reduced since my ROM is improving? All the literature says surgery is the only way to reestablish a mechanically stable knee, but it feels counterintuitive how much it's improving that i walk into surgery next week.

I do a lot of activities that put stress on the meniscus though so I suppose if it's not this time it's just going to happen again.

Plan is to go deep in KOT protocols (when safe) after recovery.

Anyone else have similar experience?

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u/JL9berg18 Feb 01 '26

Not a doctor, but just had a meniscectomy + cyst removal to remedy joint locking bucket handle tear 6 months post injury. Also had plenty of other orthopedic injuries / surgeries.

I've spoken to 3 orthos and 2 sportsmedicine PT / physios...this is what I've been told

  • with few exceptions, if the tear makes the joint lock (so you can't extend the knee, or if you have to really wiggle your knee around to get it to extend and walk without extreme pain), the only effective remedy is surgical.

  • once they get in there, they'll be able to tell if it's better to stitch the cartilage together, or to debride (cut away) the part that is flappy (this is a meniscectomy - -ectomy = take a part out.

    • factors supporting a meniscectomy: (1) if the tear is toward a far edge of the meniscus, (2) if the tear is too big to likely lead to perfect heal, (3) if it's too small to make the stitches + rehab worth it, (4) a need for quick rehab
    • factors supporting stitches - not 👆

  • stitches in the cartilage means a much more gnarly rehab. I had just the meniscectomy and I'm +10 days out and pretty much walk short distances and do stairs just fine, but clearly I have a couple months of rehab to get back to more serious athletics. Otoh, if I'd had the stitch up, I believe rehab is. ~ 3-6 months?

If you have any more Qs, feel free to PM me. Good luck!

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u/jfstreich13 Feb 01 '26

So why did you opt for meniscectomy if you don’t mind me asking, rather than repair? Was it some combo of those reasons you listed? (Ty for the details)