What is the Tegner Activity Scale?

The Tegner Activity Scale is a validated 11-level scale (0–10) developed by Tegner and Lysholm in 1985. It grades physical activity from work-only sedentary activities (level 0) up to elite competitive sports like soccer or hockey at the national/international level (level 10). It is commonly used alongside the Lysholm Knee Score to assess outcomes after knee ligament injuries.

What is considered a normal Tegner score?

A score of 6 represents recreational sports such as tennis or badminton. Scores of 7–8 correspond to competitive recreational or lower-division club sports, while 9–10 represent elite-level competition. Most non-athlete adults fall between 4 and 6.

Is this tool a substitute for clinical evaluation?

No. The Tegner Activity Scale documents self-reported activity level; it does not replace a physical examination or clinical diagnosis. Share your scores with your orthopedic surgeon or physiotherapist.

How is the change in score interpreted?

A pre-injury score minus current score gives the activity deficit. A deficit of 0 means full return to prior activity. A larger deficit indicates ongoing functional limitation. Many studies use a deficit ≤1 as a benchmark for successful return to sport.

Who developed this scale?

The scale was introduced by Yelverton Tegner and Jan Lysholm in their 1985 paper "Rating systems in the evaluation of knee ligament injuries" (Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research).

Tegner Activity Scale

Name: Tegner Activity Scale
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Score current and pre-injury activity levels (0–10) using the standardized Tegner Activity Scale for knee injury outcome documentation.

Pre-Injury Activity Level

Select the level that best describes your activity before the knee injury.

Current Activity Level

Select the level that best describes your activity right now.

Summary

Score current and pre-injury activity levels (0–10) using the standardized Tegner Activity Scale for knee injury outcome documentation.

How it works

Read each activity level (0–10) description covering work, sports, and recreational activities.
Select the level that best matches your activity before the knee injury (pre-injury score).
Select the level that best matches your current activity after injury or treatment.
The tool displays both scores and the activity change between them.
Use the printed result when reporting outcomes to your clinician or for research documentation.

Use cases

Documenting activity level before and after ACL reconstruction.
Tracking functional recovery over time following knee ligament surgery.
Reporting standardized outcome data in sports medicine research.
Comparing activity levels across patients in orthopedic clinical trials.
Pre-operative planning by establishing baseline Tegner level.
Return-to-sport clearance documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-25 · Reviewed by Nham Vu

Tegner Activity Scale

Pre-Injury Activity Level

Current Activity Level