The Tegner score or activity scale is a scoring system to gauge how disabled one is from one's knee problem in terms of activity.
Page updated May 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
What is the importance of the Tegner score?
Doctors will note whether the score is improving or getting worse, and record it for reference.
In particular, the Tegner Score was designed as a score of activity level to complement other functional scores (eg the Lysholm knee score) for patients with ligamentous injuries.
The instrument scores a person's activity level between 0 and 10, where 0 is 'on sick leave/disability' and 10 is 'participation in competitive sports such as soccer at a national or international elite level'. It is the most widely used activity scoring system for patients with knee disorders. However, it does not take into account that individuals may be able to participate at a higher level of activity but consciously choose not to or that some people will participate at a higher level of activity but with limitations.
How the Tegner score is calculated
Other common knee scoring systems
Several knee scoring systems are in common use.