Arthroscopic resection of bucket-handle tears with the help of a suture punch: a simple technique to shorten operating time.

We describe a surgical technique that has been used successfully for excising bucket-handle tears. The technique is routinely used in our department and has been found to shorten operating time. A suture punch is used to pass the suture through the bucket-handle tear. Manually maneuvering the free suture ends, it is always possible to cut the posterior or anterior attachment of the tear under direct visualization without the need for an additional portal and without the risk of losing the excised fragment in the joint. In our experience, the technique is simple, inexpensive, and reliable, but more importantly, it has shortened operating time significantly.