Meniscus Repair — Meniscal Repair (Root/Radial or All Other Types)

University of New Mexico (UNM) Sports Medicine · Will Curtis MD, Dustin Richter MD, Christopher Shultz MD, Gehron Treme MD…

Weight-Bearing

Root or radial repair: TDWB x 6 weeks; All other repair types: WBAT; Full WB at 6 weeks for all

Key Restrictions

Brace 0-90 degrees x 6 weeks; crutches x 6 weeks; no pivoting/twisting/hopping/jumping/running until 6 weeks post-op; leg press max 50% BW x 0-6 weeks

Timeline & Phases

0-6 wks: brace 0-90 deg, WB per repair type, quad sets, SLR, aquatic therapy, stationary bike, leg press (50% BW max); 6 wks: FWB, D/C brace, gait normalization, isokinetics, treadmill walk/retro, proprioception; 12 wks: sport-specific drills, plyometrics, quad symmetry <=15%; 4-6 months: full return to sport

Notes

PT starts 3-10 days post-op, 1-2x/week for 12+ weeks; root/radial repairs most restrictive (TDWB); revised 2025

Surgeon / Author

Will Curtis MD, Dustin Richter MD, Christopher Shultz MD, Gehron Treme MD, Andrew Veitch MD

Published

2025