Meniscus Transplant — Meniscus Allograft Transplantation

UCLA Department of Orthopaedic Surgery - Sports Medicine · Thomas Kremen MD

Weight-Bearing

Heel touch WB with crutches wks 0-6; progress to FWB at 8 wks; D/C crutches at 8 wks when criteria met (no SLR lag, full extension, 90° flex, non-antalgic gait); brace locked in extension x 6 wks for gait/sleeping

Key Restrictions

Brace locked in extension for gait/sleeping x 6 wks (unlock for exercises); brace off at night at 4 wks; D/C brace at 8 wks; no tibial rotation x 8 wks; no OKC hamstring work x 3 months; no TKE x 3 months; no flexion >90° x 4 wks; flexion limited to 120° until 4 months; stationary bike — no toe clips (minimize hamstring); leg press 0-60° Phase II; hamstring curls 0-60° Phase III; driving at 8 wks; swimming at 3 months (no breaststroke, no flip turns x 6 months); RTS ~9 months; PT 3-9 months supervised

Timeline & Phases

Phase I (0-8 wks): heel touch WB with 2 crutches, brace locked 0-6 wks (unlocked 6-8 wks), heel slides 0-90°, quad sets/SLR/ankle pump/patellar mobs, aquatic therapy at 4 wks | Phase II (8 wks - 3 months): D/C brace and crutches at 8 wks when criteria met, wall slides 0-45° → mini-squats, 4-way hip, stationary bike (no toe clips), leg press 0-60°, step-ups 2→8", knee extensions 50-90°, toe raises, balance | Phase III (3-9 months): CKC progression, CKC TKE, hamstring curls 0-60°, swimming no breaststroke, pool jogging with wet vest, Stairmaster, balance/core/hip/glutes, lunges/leg press 0-90°, proprioception | Phase IV (9+ months): slide board, walk/jog progression, cutting/carioca/figure 8, sport-specific drills, work hardening; RTS ~9 months

Notes

Tabular quick-reference at end of document uses 5 phases (Phase I 0-2 wks, Phase II 2-8 wks, Phase III 8-12 wks, Phase IV 12-20 wks, Phase V >20 wks) and notes heel touch WB progressing to FWB at 8 wks and flexion limited to 120° until 4 months; no tibial rotation x 8 wks to protect meniscus; if combined with ACL reconstruction, follow ACL protocol with exceptions listed above; driving at 8 wks; PT visits 1/wk Phase I, 2-3/wk Phases II-III; RTS after physician clearance and functional progression; Kremen MD UCLA PatientPop practice site

Surgeon / Author

Thomas Kremen MD