BUCKET HANDLE
MENISCUS TEARS
The lateral and medial menisci sit between the femur and tibia bones. They are the shock absorbers in the knee. As such do you think it is a good idea to have them removed. I don’t think so. So many folks from around the country are coming to Caring Medical to get Prolotherapy for their meniscus tears. (See A Retrospective Study Shows Prolotherapy is Effective in the Treatment of MRI-Documented Meniscal Tears)

One of the more common ones is a bucket handle tear. For the record a meniscus tear can be a horizontal tear, bucket handle tear, longitudinal tear, posterior horn tear, radial tear, flap tear and oblique tear. I am sure I am missing a few different types of tears. Take home point is that Prolotherapy is a good treatment for all types of meniscus tears.

Realize MRI’s can miss meniscus tears. Typically meniscus tears occur medially and sometimes the knee will intermittently lock and will not fully extend. More commonly though, the person has medial joint line pain that increases with squatting. It can be very pin point where the pain is. Sometimes the knee swells.

Traditional treatments for meniscus tears is Arthroscopy. This is for tears that don’t heal on their own. I believe the vast majority heal on their own. Those that don’t heal typically end up getting shaved away during arthroscopy. Sure, some can get repaired, but more often then not when I read knee arthroscopy reports, the tear was shaved away. When I ask the client why this was, they don’t know. Somewhere there is misinformation in that the meniscus and Cartilage don’t repair. I am telling you after treating folks with meniscus tears for 15 years with Prolotherapy, meniscus tears heal. The problem is whether they are repaired on their own or with Prolotherapy or by the surgeon, the density of the tissue in the repair is not the same as normal tissue, so the MRI - See Knee Research Study still looks a little goofy. What isn’t goofy is the knee. It is typically strong after Prolotherapy. No limitations. Yes the athlete can still cut, twist, turn, and run. Yes they can jump.

Why choose Prolotherapy over arthroscopy? There is an innate feeling in most people that taking tissue out of the body in the long run is going to have a detrimental effect. Guess what happens when you have a meniscectomy? Yes, most likely you are going to accelerate the arthritic process dramatically in your knees. Most folks instinctively know that general anesthesia and arthroscopy is serious business and if an alternative is available they’ll look at it.
Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. It works great on the soft tissues of the body including meniscus, ligaments, and tendons. It helps these tissues become stronger and thus the joints are more stable.

How many treatments are needed for a meniscus tear to heal with Prolotherapy. Typically it is between three to six visits. The visits are usually about three to five weeks but can be sped up for athletes that are in a hurry.

Are there any studies of Prolotherapy helping meniscus tears. There is just anecdotal evidence. This means doctors doing Prolotherapy have been using Prolotherapy in the treatment of meniscal tears for many years.