Research summary · Recovery and rehabilitation
Return to sport after meniscal surgery
A synthesis compares reported return-to-sport outcomes after meniscectomy, meniscal repair and meniscal allograft transplantation in athletes.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Journal
- Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy
- Population / context
- Athletes · Meniscal injury and surgery
What the publication reports
Twenty-three studies included 1,171 patients with a mean age of 26.3 years. Reported return-to-sport rates were 98.2% after meniscectomy, 96.9% after repair and 94.2% after transplantation; same-level return was lower and no clear between-procedure difference was detected.
Limits and interpretation
Only two studies were randomised and most evidence came from retrospective case series, producing moderate to very-low certainty. These rates do not compare long-term joint preservation, harms or suitability of procedures and are not an individual surgical recommendation.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Return to sport after meniscectomy, meniscal repair, and meniscal allograft transplantation for meniscal lesions in athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42003662DOI: 10.1002/ksa.70404Reader discussion
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