Background: Large bucket-handle meniscal tears in knees with chronic anterior cruciate ligament deficiency have been considered avascular and, thus, irreparable.
Hypothesis: The rate of meniscal healing is higher than previously reported.
Study design: Prospective cohort study.
Methods: Fifty-nine patients underwent staged surgical procedures of meniscal repair followed at an average of 77 +/- 58 days by ligament reconstruction once full range of motion was obtained.
Results: Fifty-two patients with 55 meniscal repairs were available for follow-up. At reconstruction, 30 menisci (55%) appeared healed; 19 (34%), partially healed; and 6 (11%) showed no healing (only 4 were removed). Of 43 tears in the white-on-white zone, 21 appeared healed; 17, partially healed; and 5 showed no healing. Of 11 in the red-on-white zone, 8 appeared healed; 2, partially healed; and 1 showed no healing. One meniscal tear in the red-on-red zone appeared healed. At an average follow-up of 4.3 +/- 3.1 years, 36 of the 43 (83.7%) white-on-white meniscal repairs remained asymptomatic; all repairs in the other zones remained asymptomatic.
Conclusion: Locked bucket-handle meniscal tears heal at a high rate when repaired as an isolated procedure, even when full weightbearing and activity before reconstruction is allowed and when the tear is in the white-on-white zone.