A bucket-handle tear will not heal unless you are 4 years old. Maybe not even then. How did you tear it? Age/height/weight/lifts
Maybe Will can respond with his opinion.
Member
Torn meniscus
Hello,
I recent tore my right meniscus. They called it a bucket handle tear. I tore the left meniscus about 2 years ago and quit squatting for about 6 months. It healed without surgery. I really don’t want to take that kind of time off again. I refused to get it scoped. Can I still squat? Should I take time off to let it repair?
Thanks
TMPHBITEU
A bucket-handle tear will not heal unless you are 4 years old. Maybe not even then. How did you tear it? Age/height/weight/lifts
Maybe Will can respond with his opinion.
Starting Strength Coach
The most important issue at hand is this: what are the symptoms the original poster is experiencing?Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe
Member
I’ve had a bucket handle tear for almost 40 years and squatting doesn’t bother mine. I guess the answer is “it depends on whether or not it hurts to squat”
Member
I had one of those, also on the right. I don't even know when my original injury was; probably 15 years ago running. But two years ago it flared up after kickboxing, and the swelling didn't go down after a couple months, so finally I saw an orthopedist and that's exactly what he called it: a bucket handle tear.
I had no choice; my meniscus had moved and was aggravating my knee, surgery was my only option. So... they ended up removing the meniscus completely. It was out of place and so torn it was effectively useless.
I recovered very quickly; I was walking within days and was back squatting after a few months. I have had no issues whatsoever in the gym; it healed surprisingly well. I don't feel any issues with my knee at all, and finished my linear progression just fine.
I can't run ever again. I feel the pressure on my knee even after 10 minutes of jogging.
The only other caveat is my doctor recommended I squat only to just above parallel; certainly not below. Last time I video checked myself I'm pretty sure I'm going parallel; I've never felt any issue with my knee at all, and my last 5RM was 300lbs.
The last thing to be aware of, and I wish my doctor had told me beforehand: If they completely remove your meniscus (they may not), they may recommend to additionally shave off a small part of your bone to compensate for the missing meniscus so you don't have bones rubbing against each other. In my case, I have a funky misalignment on my right that separates the bones enough this isn't an issue, so I'm fine. But definitely ask about that and any other restrictions.
In spite of all of the above, I am very happy with the surgery, recovery, and results. Other folks I know have had this have also had great results. I'd ask your doctor about the tradeoff in risk between getting the surgery now, when part of your meniscus can still be salvaged, vs a more serious injury later where it may have to be completely removed with some bone shaving on top.
Starting Strength Coach
That's not necessarily the answer. The "it depends" qualifier is whether or not there are mechanical symptoms, such as mechanical locking, of the knee.
Member
This seems like as good a thread to post this as any:
Lifting partner of mine tore his meniscus
twice
doing the same thing: squatting much too low and bouncing on his knees. I told him hundreds of times to not do that: practice good depth and just don't bottom out. Now he's squatting again, again, again, and he's squatting much too deep again. I told him about it, he said he'd pay attention, and then proceeded to squat too deep. At some point, you gotta let people like that go.
Oh, and he's studying Ex Phizz, so uh
yeah
Member
I see a lot of amateur olympic lifters do this, high bar squat ATG with a massive bounce at the bottom off of their calf. Makes me cringe.
TMPHBITEU
There are no professional Olympic lifters. And a possibly related phenomenon, there are very few masters Olympic lifters, and they're not doing much more than 80/100.
Member
I met one such specimen Tuesday. Guy was pointing at my shoes while talking to someone I'd never seen at my gym before. He was going on and on (and on and on) about how flats are flats, and don't have a heel, and so are flats. He ensured me that he wasn't knocking my shoes or preference, not that I cared. He then proceeded to squat 60kg, I shit you not. No belt, no sleeves, no wraps, no suit, tho, bro. Belts would be cheating.
He kept yapping his mouth to this new person (a woman, btw, probably relevant) about the intricacies of squatting 3/4 bodyweight super raw. Also something about how he can really feel his calves stretching in flats, and how he once stretched his calves for a whole hour. Imagine all the food you could eat in an hour like that, or Gianna Michaels you could watch. I don't even bother with guys like that anymore. I just let the pangs of mediocrity and greyness of the wall behind them take them.
Bye bye, Mr. No No No, bye bye
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