Summary

The authors report the case of a 38-year-old male who presented to the accident and emergency department with a locked knee after falling from a height. The knee was locked at 35° of flexion without any signs of instability in clinical examination. The patient was operated within 6 h from injury. During arthroscopy bucket-handle tears of both medial and lateral menisci were found. The bucket-handle fragments were displaced into the intercondylar notch causing the knee to lock. Additionally, tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial collateral ligament (MCL) were also found. The patient underwent ACL reconstruction with hamstrings autograft, medial subtotal meniscectomy and lateral meniscus repair. The MCL was treated conservatively. The postoperative period was uneventful and the patient returned to the preinjury level of activity within 8 months. The patient remains asymptomatic 2 years postoperatively.