Surgical Outcome After Displaced Bucket-handle Meniscal Lesions - Repair Versus Partial Meniscectomy

NCT ID: NCT07079254

Last Updated: 2025-07-25

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Total Enrollment: 300 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-10-07
• Study Completion Date: 2045-12-31

Brief Summary

The menisci of the knee joint are structures composed of cartilage and connective tissue, whose primary functions are to stabilize the joint and distribute weight across joint surfaces. In doing so, it helps protect the joint from osteoarthritis - a form of joint failure commonly referred to as "joint wear". Meniscal surgeries are among the most common orthopaedic procedures performed both in Sweden and globally. Historically, damaged menisci were treated by removing the injured part. However, this approach is linked to early-onset osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis affects approximately one-third of individuals over the age of 45 and ranks among the ten most common diagnoses in Europe based on years lived with disability. The knee is the most frequently affected joint, and the importance of the menisci in preserving knee function has become increasingly recognized.

In recent years, advances in surgical techniques have led to a shift towards meniscus-preserving procedures. A typical injury is the displaced meniscus, in which a large portion of the meniscus becomes detached from the joint capsule and wedges itself inside the joint, causing mechanical locking and preventing full extension. A displaced meniscus often loses its blood supply and suffers mechanical damage from being compressed between the joint surfaces. To preserve the meniscus and prevent irreversible damage, early surgical intervention is required. If the injury is too old or the tissue too damaged, the injured part of the meniscus must be removed, which significantly increases the risk of developing early knee osteoarthritis.

It remains unclear how soon surgery must be performed to successfully preserve the meniscus, and this likely depends on various other factors, including patient age, presence of additional joint injuries, and surgical technique. There is currently no reliable data on the proportion of displaced menisci that heal after meniscus-preserving surgery. However, studies suggest that 20-30% of repaired menisci require reoperation due to failed healing.

Given that displaced menisci are considered surgical emergencies, they pose a significant burden on healthcare systems already strained by limited access to urgent surgery. Meanwhile, ongoing development of surgical techniques raise ethical and logistical questions for health providers - especially as the scientific evidence for the benefits of some advanced treatments remains inconclusive.

Therefore, more research is needed to guide the optimal management of displaced bucket-handle lesions across a diverse patient population, taking into account age, activity level, and concurrent injuries. A key priority is to identify predictors of healing potential, particularly the time window during which surgical repair remains a viable option. With better knowledge, more menisci could potentially be preserved - reducing both the number of unnecessary re-operations and the long-term incidence of knee osteoarthritis.

Conditions

Meniscus Rupture; Meniscus Injury; Osteoarthritis of Knee

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Interventions

Meniscus suture

The meniscus bucket-handle injury will either be treated with meniscus suture or partial meniscectomy

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Partial meniscectomy

The meniscus bucket-handle injury wil be treated with either meniscus suture or partial meniscectomy

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 15 years or above.
• Displaced longitudinal bucket-handle tear including the posterior horn on MRI and a knee extension deficit.

Exclusion Criteria

• Patient younger than 15 years.
• Insufficient knowledge of the Swedish language.
• Per-operative findings including a bucket-handle rupture in combination with a complete radial rupture

• Minimum Eligible Age: 15 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Region Skane

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Ola Svejme, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Lund University, Department of Orthopaedics, Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Sweden

Locations

Region Skåne, Orthopaedic department Kristianstad/Hässleholm

Hässleholm, Skåne County, Sweden

Site Status: RECRUITING

Region Skåne, Skåne University Hospital

Malmo, Skåne County, Sweden

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Sweden

Central Contacts

Sofie Alerskans, MD

Role: CONTACT

sofie.alerskans@med.lu.se

+46 768-487639

Ola Svejme, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

ola.svejme@skane.se

+46 722-106158

Facility Contacts

Sofie Alerskans, MD

Role: primary

sofie.alerskans@med.lu.se

+46768487639

Ola Svejme, MD, PhD

Role: primary

ola.svejme@skane.se

+722 106158

Other Identifiers

2023-00059-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id