Meniscus Repair

University of Colorado Anschutz (CU) · Dr. Eric McCarty MD

Weight-Bearing

PWB (1/3 weight) wk 0-1 brace locked ext; PWB wks 1-3; FWB with normal gait wks 3-4; Root repair: NWB x 4 wks, PWB wks 4-6, FWB at 6 wks

Key Restrictions

No knee flexion >90 deg wks 0-3; brace locked ext until SLR achieved then open 30 deg/wk (0-30, 0-60, 0-90); no pivoting, twisting, hopping, jumping, running through 8+ wks; leg press 50% BW max at 4-8 wks; root repair has separate more conservative WB/ROM protocol

Timeline & Phases

Time-based: 0-4 wks (WB/brace restrictions, quad sets, SLR, heel slides); 4-8 wks (bike, leg press 50% BW max, leg ext/curl, normalize gait, proprioception); 8 wks (high-intensity low-volume strength, SL squats); 10 wks (assess light jogging treadmill/AlterG/pool); 12 wks (plyometrics and progressive linear running); 14-16 wks (return to sport per MD clearance)

Notes

.edu site; Dr. Eric McCarty MD; CU Boulder/Englewood offices; includes root repair sub-protocol with more conservative WB; return to sport at 14-16 wks per MD clearance; document reads Updated 2020 but file dated March 2023

Surgeon / Author

Dr. Eric McCarty MD

Published

March 2023