# Knee diagnosis - bucket handle meniscus tear



## andyjeffries (Feb 18, 2011)

Just been to see the specialist.  Apparently my knee has a bucket handle tear (one side of the meniscus is up inside the knuckle of the knee joint) and it's an operation to fix it.  While I'm not relishing the prospect of the op, I definitely want my knee fixed and back to "normal".

Apparently, depending on how the operation goes (just unfold it or unfold and staple it) I could be out of kicking for 6 weeks to 6 months.  Hoping it's the former.

Anyway, just wanted to vent somewhere where people will understand how not being able to kick for 6 months could be bad...

If anyone's had surgery for this type of tear, I'd like to hear your experiences (even if it meant the six months out).


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Feb 18, 2011)

No such injury for me, but I am sorry to hear it just the same.  I have injured my knee and it took many months for it to come back to anything like full strength on its own, so I sympathize.


----------



## andyjeffries (Feb 18, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> No such injury for me, but I am sorry to hear it just the same.  I have injured my knee and it took many months for it to come back to anything like full strength on its own, so I sympathize.



Thanks Bill.  I've been taking Glucosamine Sulfate for months and if my knee felt at 0% when I last saw the specialist (about 3-4 months ago) I'd say it felt 60-70% now.  The specialist was surprised as he thought I'd be in agony walking around.  Anyway, looking forward to getting it fixed.

Thanks for your kind wishes mate.


----------



## SahBumNimRush (Feb 18, 2011)

Andy, as a martial artist, you are already ahead of the game on recovery time and success.  You already possess fine motor control of the knee.  What will be important is prehab and working your good leg during the time you cannot work your bad leg.  There is a phenomenon known as the neurologic cross over effect that utilizes the mirror neurons in the body.  

In layman's terms, the brain will stimulate both side of the sensory motor cortex when just using one leg, so you will be exercising the motor pathways of the bad leg.  This will increase the speed of your recovery time.

Good luck on the surgery!


----------



## Earl Weiss (Feb 18, 2011)

Been there done that (triple Bucket handle tear) Twice. 

To speed recovery "Prehab" Get the quads / leg strong before surgery. Ride a astationary bike, use a seated leg press and leg extension machine. 

After surgery, follow rehab instructions but don't over do it. Again, stationary Bike and leg extension machine are good non impact exercises. 

i use Glucosimine Chondroiton daily.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Feb 18, 2011)

I didnt have surgery and I did not have this type of tear but I did tear the meniscus in two places on the left knee and I was given the choice surgery or let it straighten itself out and I opted for the no surgery route and it is a long LONG road to take. It is still not 100% but it is getting better. However not all meniscus tears are created equally and if you have to do the surgery then you have to do the surgery. All I can say is listen to what the doctors tell you or you WILL end up right back where you started.

In my case it took 3 MDs multiple X-Rays, two knee draining sessions, an MRI and 6 months for them to figure out why I couldnt walk without a cane (at first) crutches later. Once I was diagnosed and given a rigid knee brace it started to recover. However me being me I did try and rush things a couple times and ended up right back in the brace walking with a cane. Bottom-linelisten to the doctor.


----------



## andyjeffries (Feb 18, 2011)

SahBumNimRush said:


> Andy, as a martial artist, you are already ahead of the game on recovery time and success.  You already possess fine motor control of the knee.



That's what I'm hoping for...



SahBumNimRush said:


> What will be important is prehab and working your good leg during the time you cannot work your bad leg.  There is a phenomenon known as the neurologic cross over effect that utilizes the mirror neurons in the body. In layman's terms, the brain will stimulate both side of the sensory motor cortex when just using one leg, so you will be exercising the motor pathways of the bad leg.  This will increase the speed of your recovery time.



Hadn't heard of that before, very interesting - thanks so much.



SahBumNimRush said:


> Good luck on the surgery!



Thank you.


----------



## andyjeffries (Feb 18, 2011)

Earl Weiss said:


> Been there done that (triple Bucket handle tear) Twice.



Yowser!  Did you do the same thing to ruin it again or was your knee more susceptible after the first repair?  Did you take your time in rehab?  Basically, is there anything you felt you did wrong that meant you tore it twice?



Earl Weiss said:


> To speed recovery "Prehab" Get the quads / leg strong before surgery. Ride a astationary bike, use a seated leg press and leg extension machine.



Good hints, thanks mate.



Earl Weiss said:


> After surgery, follow rehab instructions but don't over do it. Again, stationary Bike and leg extension machine are good non impact exercises. I use Glucosimine Chondroiton daily.



That's my worry that I'll naturally think "the more rehab exercises I can do the faster I'll get back" and I know it often doesn't work that way, it will need rest time to heal as well as exercise.


----------



## andyjeffries (Feb 18, 2011)

Xue Sheng said:


> All I can say is listen to what the doctors tell you or you WILL end up right back where you started. However me being me I did try and rush things a couple times and ended up right back in the brace walking with a cane. Bottom-linelisten to the doctor.



That's my worry.  Not that I'll necessarily do something they don't advise, but that I'll overdose on what they do advise.  Oh well, fingers crossed I'll stick to what they say to the letter...


----------



## Kacey (Feb 18, 2011)

I had this type of tear in October 2009 - I had arthroscopic surgery to remove the torn piece of meniscus that was blocking the joint.  I was back teaching TKD in a couple of weeks (ahead of when my doctor cleared me... but I wasn't demonstrating or anything, I had the students do that) and working out, lightly at first, within a month.  The thing that took the longest was being able to kneel - at first, because it hurt like hell to put pressure on the knee were the incision was, and later because that was where I had the greatest loss of flexibility.  In retrospect, I probably should have accepted the orthopedist's recommendation for physical therapy instead of just taking the list of exercises - but within 3 weeks I had no pain with normal activities of living, like walking and climbing stairs, and within 3 months the only real problem remaining for TKD was jumping.  By 6 months, it was pretty much like it never happened, and so far I've had no repercussions (knock on wood).


----------



## crushing (Feb 18, 2011)

Ouch!  My eldest son experienced the bucket handle miniscus tear at a college soccer camp just before his junior year in high school.  He missed that season, which was upsetting to him because he loved to play the game, and it cost him 4 year varsity starter status.  He did come back and play his senior year and said he felt just fine.

I wish you the best for a full recovery and that you will be kicking it in no time.


----------



## andyjeffries (Feb 18, 2011)

Kacey said:


> I had this type of tear in October 2009 - I had arthroscopic surgery to remove the torn piece of meniscus that was blocking the joint...By 6 months, it was pretty much like it never happened, and so far I've had no repercussions (knock on wood).



Kacey, thank you for posting this - it's made me feel positive in a whole new way.  I hoped I'd make a full recovery, but to hear that someone else has made a full recovery makes it feel like there's more chance than just a wish...


----------



## andyjeffries (Feb 18, 2011)

crushing said:


> Ouch!  My eldest son experienced the bucket handle miniscus tear at a college soccer camp just before his junior year in high school.  He missed that season, which was upsetting to him because he loved to play the game, and it cost him 4 year varsity starter status.  He did come back and play his senior year and said he felt just fine.
> 
> I wish you the best for a full recovery and that you will be kicking it in no time.



Many thanks Crushing.  Glad to hear that your son felt fine after a while, shame that he missd his status, but long term health is very important (that's part of the reason I want mine fixed - missing stuff now is annoying but if I leave it I don't think it will get better with age :wink.


----------



## ATC (Feb 18, 2011)

Had them on both knees plus other damage later on. The Meniscus tears aren't bad at all. You should be back kicking within a month or so. Pro Football and Basketball players have them all the time and they are back at a high level in 2 - 4 weeks. The procedure is quite simple and you will be walking in 2 days.

Start your rehab as soon as you can and ride a stationary bike as much as you can during the rehab process. It really helps.


----------



## Kacey (Feb 18, 2011)

andyjeffries said:


> Kacey, thank you for posting this - it's made me feel positive in a whole new way.  I hoped I'd make a full recovery, but to hear that someone else has made a full recovery makes it feel like there's more chance than just a wish...



Not only did I recover - I tested for my V Dan a year later.  It took me longer to recover my cardio than to rehab my knee.


----------



## Earl Weiss (Feb 18, 2011)

andyjeffries said:


> Yowser! Did you do the same thing to ruin it again or was your knee more susceptible after the first repair? Did you take your time in rehab? Basically, is there anything you felt you did wrong that meant you tore it twice?
> 
> 
> Once in each knee. Tore the ACLs while rotating. Lead to the miniscus tear. Did not find out till I was 45 or so that I was born with a hip joint misalignment which leads to all sorts of other issues... including why I could not get my foot poing downward correctly for a side kick.


----------

