Return to Sport After Isolated Meniscal Repair: From Time-Based Protocols to Criteria-Based Clearance. A Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.71.74865Keywords
isolated meniscal repair, return to sport, return to play, rehabilitation, functional assessment, criteria-based rehabilitation, meniscal preservationAbstract
Background: Meniscal repair preserves meniscal tissue and may reduce the adverse long-term consequences associated with partial meniscectomy. However, rehabilitation protocols and return-to-sport criteria remain inconsistent, and time since surgery is still often the main factor guiding progression.
Aim: To present current evidence on rehabilitation and return to sport after isolated meniscal repair, focusing on return rates and timing, functional criteria, tear- and repair-related factors and return to the preinjury level of sport.
Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar and supplemented by screening reference lists. Thirty publications were included, with priority given to studies of isolated meniscal repair in athletes and physically active patients.
Results: Return-to-play rates ranged from 71.2% to 100%, with time to RTP ranging from 3.3 to 10 months. Return to the same or a higher level of activity was reported in only three studies and ranged from 53.9% to 92.6%. Current evidence supports combining a minimum period needed for biological healing with assessment of pain, effusion, range of motion, muscle strength, neuromuscular control and load tolerance. Stable vertical longitudinal tears may allow faster progression, whereas radial, root, complex and horizontal tears usually require a more restrictive rehabilitation approach. Functional testing may identify persistent deficits, but validated cut-off values specific to isolated meniscal repair are lacking. Return to sport does not necessarily mean return to the preinjury level of sport or full sports performance.
Conclusions: Return to sport should be gradual and individualised, based on healing time and clinical, functional and sport-specific criteria. No universal, validated return-to-sport algorithm is currently available. Prospective studies are needed to standardise endpoint definitions and validate progression criteria.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Gracjan Koźma, Marta Borkowska, Alicja Sołtan, Jakub Pawlicki, Małgorzata Witaszczyk, Natalia Wiktorzak, Julia Lipska, Jagoda Prządka, Dominika Kochan-Olszewska, Longin Rudnicki, Justyna Laskus, Paweł Klimas, Bartosz Gawior, Olga Stasiak
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