A bucket-handle tear refers to a tear of which structure?

• A. Bucket-Handle Tear(Meniscus)
• B. ACL Tear
• C. Lateral Meniscus Tear
• D. Medial Collateral Ligament Tear

Answer: (A)

Bucket-handle tear is a specific pattern of injury to the knee’s meniscus. It’s a vertical longitudinal tear in the meniscal tissue where a flap of the torn inner portion becomes displaced into the joint, giving a bucket-handle appearance on imaging or arthroscopy. This identifies the structure involved as the meniscus, not a ligament like the ACL or MCL. While it can occur in either the medial or lateral meniscus, it’s most classically discussed with the medial side due to its tighter attachments. Because the tear pattern describes the tissue and how it behaves, the best description is a meniscal tear with a bucket-handle pattern, rather than an injury to a ligament.