Characteristics of study participants, study characteristics and risk of bias assessment of included studies
| Author, year Country (reference) | Participants n, age, (female%)* | Type of injury and (intervention)† | Activity level‡ | OA classification (radiographic/self-reported/ clinical) | Comparison (n and type)§ | Years of follow-up (mean, SD/range) | Risk of bias assessment (Total and ratio score)¶ |
| Ait Si Selmi, 2006 France21 | n=89, 22.0 (11%) | Combined (ACL reconstr.) | Not reported | IKDC | n=89 Opposite knee | 17.4 | + (8/13) |
| Andersson-Molina, 2002 Sweden22 | n=36, 29.0, (0%) | Meniscus (APM - medial) | 1 | Ahlbäck | n=18 Matched controls | 14.0 | + (11/13) retrospective |
| n=36, 28.0, (0%) | Menisc (total meniscect.) | 1 | Ahlbäck | n=18 Matched controls | 14.0 | + (11/13) | |
| Barenius, 2014 Sweden23 | n=69, 24.0, (49%) | Combined (ACL reconstr. BTPB) | 0 | KL | n=69 Opposite knee | 15.2 | ++ (10/13) |
| n=65, 26.1, (32%) | Combined (ACL reconstr.) | 0 | KL | n=65 Opposite knee | 15.5 | ++ (10/13) | |
| Bonneaux, 2002 Belgium24 | n=29, 25.0, (31%) | Meniscus (APM lateral) | 1 | Fairbank | n=29 Opposite knee | 8.0 (SD 1.5) | + (7/13) |
| Bulgheroni, 2015 Italy25 | n=34, 31.0, (76%) | Combined (ACL reconstr. – meniscect./CMI impl.) | 0 | KL | n=34 Opposite knee | 11.8 (SD 2.4) | + (5/13) |
| Chatain, 2001 France26 | n=218, 38.0, (19%) | Menisc (medial meniscect.) | 1 | IKDC | n=218 Opposite knee | 11.5 (10–15) | + (6/13) |
| Chatain, 2003 France27 | n=64, 35.0, (18%) | Meniscus (lateral meniscect.) | 1 | IKDC | n=64 Opposite knee | 11.0 (SD 1.4) | + (6/13) |
| Chen, 2017 China28 | n=59, 28.6, (14%) | Combined (ACL reconstr.-ham.) | 1 | KL | n=59 Opposite knee | 11.7 (SD 1.0) | + (9/13) |
| n=30, 27.6, (36%) | Combined ACL reconstr.-syn.) | 1 | KL | n=30 Opposite knee | 11.6 (SD 2.3) | + (9/13) | |
| Englund, 2009 USA17 | n=405, 61.6, (62%) | Meniscus tear (no intervention) | 0 | KL | n=294 Matched controls | 2.5 | + (12/13) retrospective |
| Faunø, 1992 Denmark29 | n=136, 33.8, (26%) | Meniscus (arthroscop. resec.) | 0 | Fairbank | n=136 Opposite knee | 8.5 (8–12) | + (7/13) |
| Golightly, 2009 USA30 | n=2511, 53.8 follow-up, (0%) | ACL (not reported) | 1 | Self-reported | n=1390 Matched controls | More than 10 years | - (3/13) |
| n=2511, 53.8 follow-up, (0%) | Meniscus (not reported) | 1 | Self-reported | n=1315 Matched controls | More than 10 years | - (3/13) | |
| Hart, 2005 UK31 | n=16, 27.8, (32%) | Combined (PBTB +meniscect.) | 0 | Ahlbäck | n=16 Opposite knee | 10 (9–13) | + (6/13) |
| n=15, 27.8, (32%) | ACL (PBTB reconstruct.) | 0 | Ahlbäck | n=15 Opposite knee | 10 (9–13) | + (6/13) | |
| Hoffelner, 2012 Austria32 | n=28, 22.4, (25%) | ACL (PBTB/hamstring) | 1 | KL | n=28 Opposite knee | 10.0 | + (6/13) |
| Hulet, 2015 France33 | n=89, 35.0 (37%) | Meniscus (APM lateral) | 0 | IKDC | n=89 Opposite knee | 22.0 (SD 3.0) | + (9/13) |
| Inderhaug, 2013 Norway34 | n=78, 28.0, (34%) | Combined (ACL autograft) | 1 | IKDC | n=78 Opposite knee | 11.0 (SD 0.6) | + (6/13) |
| Jackson, 1968 UK35 | n=382, 35.8, (11%) | Meniscus (meniscect.) | Not reported | other (radiographic) | n=382 Opposite knee | 11.0 | + (5/13) |
| Jarvela, 2017 Finland36 | n=24, 34.0, (30%) | Combined (ACL – DB auto.) | Not reported | KL | n=24 Opposite knee | 13.1 (SD 0.3) | + (8/13) |
| n=23, 30.0, (30%) | Combined (ACL – SB bio.) | Not reported | KL | n=23 Opposite knee | 13.1 (SD 0.3) | + (8/13) | |
| n=23, 33.0, (37%) | Combined (ACL – SB metal.) | Not reported | KL | n=23 Opposite knee | 13.1 (SD 0.3) | + (8/13) | |
| Jauregito, 1995 USA37 | n=18, 30.0, (not reported) | Meniscus (part. lat. menisect.) | Not reported | Fairbank | n=18 Opposite knee | 8.0 (6–11) | + (6/13) |
| Johnson, 1999 USA38 | n=34, 18.9, (11%) | Meniscus (meniscal repair) | Not reported | Fairbank | n=34 Opposite knee | 10.9 (8–13) | + (7/13) |
| Johnson, 2015 USA39 | n=710, 56.0, (67%) | ACL (not reported) | 0 | KL | n=355 Matched controls | 4 | + (5/13) |
| Karikis, 2018 Sweden40 | n=29, 26.0, (50%) | Combined (ACL reconstr. early) | 1 | KL | n=29 Opposite knee | 10.5 (SD 2.6) | + (8/13) |
| n=29, 27.0, (39%) | Combined (ACL reconstr. late) | 1 | KL | n=29 Opposite knee | 13.3 (SD 2.7) | + (8/13) | |
| Khan, 2018 UK41 | n=154 076, 57.3, (27%) | Combined (TKA) | Not reported | Clinical | n=104 353 Matched controls | More than 20 years | ++ (11/13) |
| n=154 076, 65.1, (37%) | Meniscus (TKA) | Not reported | Clinical | n=104 353 Matched controls | More than 20 years | ++ (11/13) | |
| Leiter, 2014 Canada42 | n=68, 31,2, (37%) | ACL (autograft) | 1 | KL | n=68 Opposite knee | 14.6 (SD 1.9) | + (7/13) |
| Leroux, 2014 Canada43 | n=181 451, 28.0, (35%) | ACL (TKA) | Not reported | Clinical | n=151 362 Matched controls | 15 | + (10/13) retrospective |
| Li, 2011 USA44 | n=249, 26.4, (39%) | ACL (single bundle) | 1 | KL | n=249 Opposite knee | 9.5 (4–22) | + (8/13) |
| Lohmander, 2004 Sweden45 | n=41, 19.0, (100%) | Combined (ACL reconstr.) | 1 | KL | n=41 Opposite knee | 12 | + (8/13) |
| n=26, 19.0, (100%) | Combined (no surgery) | 1 | KL | n=26 Opposite knee | 12 | + (8/13) | |
| Majewski, 2006 Switzerland46 | n=64, 29.8, (39%) | Meniscus (suture repair) | 1 | Fairbank | n=64 Opposite knee | 10.0 (5–17) | + (9/13) |
| Maletius, 1997 Sweden47 | n=52, 25.4, (34%) | Combined (ACL reconstruct.) | 0 | Ahlbäck | n=52 Opposite knee | 9.0 (7–11) | + (7/13) |
| Maletius, 1996 Sweden48 | n=21, 28.0, (24%) | Meniscus (APM) | 0 | Ahlbäck | n=21 Opposite knee | 13.0 (12–15) | + (9/13) |
| Meuffels, 2009 Netherlands49 | n=50, 27.7, (24%) | Combined (BPTB reconstruct.) | 1 | KL | n=50 Opposite knee | 10.0 | + (6/13) |
| Meunier, 2007 Sweden50 | n=93, 22.0, (32%) | Combined (ACL repair) | Not reported | Ahlbäck | n=93 Opposite knee | 15.0 (14–19) | + (7/13) |
| Murray, 2004 UK51 | n=18, 28.4, (6%) | ACL (allograft) | 0 | IKDC | n=18 Opposite knee | 13.0 (11–16) | + (5/13) |
| Murray, 2012 Australia52 | n=84, 30.0, (not reported) | Combined (ACL autograft) | 1 | IKDC | n=84 Opposite knee | 13.0 | + (7/13) |
| n=29, 30.0, (not reported) | ACL (autograft) | 1 | IKDC | n=29 Opposite knee | 13.0 | + (7/13) | |
| Neyret, 1993 France53 | n=92, 32.5, (22%) | Meniscus (partial meniscect.) | 0 | Other (radiographic) | n=92 Opposite knee | 26.0 (20–34) | + (6/13) |
| n=88, 24.0, (22%) | Combined (partial meniscect.) | 1 | Other (radiographic) | n=88 Opposite knee | 27.0 (20–34) | + (6/13) | |
| Oiestad, 2011 Norway54 | n=210, 25.4, (43%) | Combined (ACL autograft) | Not reported | KL | n=210 Opposite knee | 13.7 (SD 4.4) | ++ (10/13) |
| Persson, 2018 Sweden55 | n=645 967, 30.5, (26%) | Combined (Repair/part. menisc.) | Not reported | Clinical | n=643 480 Matched controls | 10.5 (median, range 5–18) | ++10/13) |
| Reid, 1992 USA56 | n=32, 22.0, (16%) | Combined (ACL reconstruc.) | 1 | other (radiographic) | n=32 Opposite knee | 11.0 (7–15) | + (7/13) |
| Rockborn, 1995 Sweden57 | n=33, 19.0, (14%) | Meniscus (meniscect.) | 1 | Ahlbäck | n=33 Opposite knee | 13.0 (11–15) | + (6/13) |
| Rockborn, 2000 Sweden58 | n=62, 25.0, (16%) | Meniscus (open meniscect.) | 1 | Ahlbäck | n=31 Matched controls | 13.5 (11–19) | + (7/13) |
| Roos, 2008 Sweden59 | n=291, 34.4, (19%) | Meniscus (isolated menicect.) | Not reported | KL | n=50 Matched controls | 18.2 (SD 2.3) | + (10/13) retrospective |
| Sanders, 2017 USA60 | n=728, 31.5, (40%) | Combined (none) | Not reported | Clinical | n=364 Matched controls | 14.3 (SD 7.4) | + (7/13) |
| Scheller, 2001 Germany61 | n=23, 39.9, (42%) | Meniscus (partial meniscect.) | Not reported | Jäger-Wirth | n=23 Opposite knee | 12.3 (10–15) | + (7/13) |
| n=35, 42.5, (42%) | Meniscus (partial meniscect.) | Not reported | Jäger-Wirth | n=35 Opposite knee | 7.1 (5–9) | + (7/13) | |
| Segawa, 2001 Japan62 | n=70, 22.8, (40%) | Combined (no surgery) | 0 | KL | n=70 Opposite knee | 11.9 (5–27) | + (7/13) |
| Sommerlath, 1991 Sweden63 | n=38, 28.0, (20%) | Combined (ACL repair) | 0 | Ahlbäck | n=38 Opposite knee | 12.0 (9–16) | + (6/13) |
| Sonne Holm, 1980 Denmark64 | n=131, 25.0, (14%) | Meniscus (total menicectomy) | 1 | Ahlbäck | n=131 Opposite knee | 4.25 (median, range 2.3–11) | + (9/13) |
| Stein, 2010 Germany65 | n=26, 31.1, (38%) | Meniscus (repair) | 1 | Fairbank | n=26 Opposite knee | 9.0 | + (9/13) |
| n=20, 30.4, (31%) | Meniscus (partial meniscect.) | 1 | Fairbank | n=20 Opposite knee | 9.0 | + (9/13) | |
| Strand, 2005 Norway66 | n=61, 28.0, (not reported) | ACL (open repair) | 0 | IKDC | n=61 Opposite knee | 23.0 | + (7/13) |
| Sun, 2009 China67 | n=76, 29.8, (20%) | Combined (BPTB autograft) | 0 | KL | n=76 Opposite knee | 5.6 | + (6/13) |
| n=80, 30.7, (21%) | Combined (BPTB allograft) | 0 | KL | n=80 Opposite knee | 5.6 | + (6/13) | |
| Sun, 2011 China68 | n=31, 28.5, (23%) | Combined (hamstring allograft) | 0 | KL | n=31 Opposite knee | 3.6 | + (5/13) |
| n=38, 29.6, (18%) | Combined (hamstring allograft) | 0 | KL | n=38 Opposite knee | 3.6 | + (5/13) | |
| Sutherland, 2010 UK69 | n=79, 31.0, (20%) | ACL (reconstruc - BPLB) | 0 | KL | n=79 Opposite knee | 11.0 (8–15) | + (8/13) |
| Thelin, 2006 Sweden18 | n=631, 62.6 follow-up, (0%) | Meniscus | 0 | Ahlbäck | n=293 Matched controls | More than 10 years | + (5/13) |
| n=842, 62.6 follow-up, (100%) | Meniscus | 0 | Ahlbäck | n=402 Matched controls | More than 10 years | + (5/13) | |
| van der Hart, 2008 Netherlands70 | n=28, 27.6, (39%) | Combined (ACL autograft) | 0 | KL | n=28 Opposite knee | 10.3 (10–11) | + (7/13) |
| Yamaguchi, 2006 Japan71 | n=24, 21.0, (31%) | Combined (ACL reconstruc.) | 1 | IKDC | n=24 Opposite knee | 24.0 | + (7/13) |
*n = number of participants included in analysis, age reported as mean years and gender as % females.
†ACL, meniscus, combined ACL and meniscus.
‡Pre-operative Tegner score ≥7 = 1, <7 = 0.
§n = number of controls in analysis, type = opposite knee or matched controls.
¶Total assessment score (++ high quality, + acceptable, - unacceptable), ratio score = number of items assessing bias in study/total number of items available for bias assessment.