Why (And How) We Use the Tegner Activity Scale
An Introduction to the Tegner Activity Scale
The Tegner Activity Scale can help us design a sports medicine treatment plan for your exact needs. Using this helpful and informative method of measuring your activity levels, we arrive at a "Tegner Score" that basically allows us to target said activity level as a goal to inform our treatment plan.
The Tegner Scale - How Does It Work?
The scale is numbered on a "0-10" format, with 10 being international soccer, and one being a person who is disabled from knee issues. Luckily, in here we see more 10’s and virtually nobody on the lower levels of activity. But there are docs who specialize in helping people from all walks of life and activity levels.
On the topic of numbering, for instance, if you are a world-class skier competing in the World Cup and the Olympics, your corresponding Tegner scale number will be higher than if you are a recreational basketball player.
The Tegner Scale Helps Us Design a Treatment Plan for You
Considering you want to get back to the level that you were at before the injury, your score will inform several of our choices, including:
Choice of graft for knee injuries
The timeline of surgical treatment
How aggressive we are in our rehabilitation
Does Team Sterett Use the Tegner Activity Scale?
Yes! We rely on the Tegner Activity scale to create a consensus with the athlete on where they want to be.
One of our main focuses is "Activity Preservation". Meaning, preserving the lifestyle you had pre-injury as well as we can. People come to us not just to be pain-free, but to try to get back to the highest level of performance that they can!
That's why the Vail Valley and Summit County are such a good fit for us— even when we aren't working with top athletes, we have our locals who want to get back to skiing 100 days per year!
Wait, What Exactly is "Activity Preservation"?
As mentioned, at my practice we really live this idea of Activity Preservation. To keep it brief, activity preservation is basically all about keeping you doing the activities that you love to do.
In the past, much of the focus of orthopedic surgery has been to treat the injury based on the level of comfort a person would like to achieve.
However, we're starting to realize that increasingly people don't merely want to be pain-free, but they want to be back at doing the things they love better than ever. This fact can dramatically inform our approach when it's time to line up treatment.
What are the "Levels" Of The Tegner Activity Scale?
Now that we've introduced the Tegner Score, let's talk about the different levels of the score and which level applies to you.
We go over this with patients when they come in to see us, and we find it helps make your sports medicine treatment better by providing a treatment plan and recovery strategy that is tailored to the lifestyle that you want to live.
Want to have a copy for yourself? DOWNLOAD YOUR TEGNER ACTIVITY SCORE SHEET
Level 10 - tegner Scale
Competitive sports. soccer, football, rugby (national elite)
Level 9 - tegner Scale
Competitive sports. Soccer, football, rugby (lower divisions), ice hockey, wrestling, gymnastics, basketball.
Level 8 - tegner Scale
Competitive sports. Racquetball, squash or badminton, track and field athletics (jumping, etc.), down-hill skiing
Level 7 - tegner Scale
Competitive sports. Tennis, running, motorcars speedway, handball. Recreational sports- soccer, football, rugby, bandy, ice hockey, basketball, squash, racquetball, running.
Level 6 - tegner Scale
Recreational sports. Tennis and badminton, handball, racquetball, down-hill skiing, jogging at least 5 times per week.
Level 5 - tegner Scale
Work. Heavy labor (construction, etc.) Competitive sports. Cycling, cross-country skiing, Recreational sports. Jogging on uneven ground at least twice weekly
Level 4 - tegner Scale
Work. Moderately heavy labor (e.g. truck driving, etc.)
Level 3 - tegner Scale
Work. Light labor (nursing, etc.)
Level 2 - tegner Scale
Work. Light labor. Walking on uneven ground possible, but impossible to back pack or hike.
Level 1 - tegner Scale
Work- sedentary (secretarial, etc.)
Level 0 - Tegner Scale
Sick leave or disability pension because of knee problems.
