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Background: Due to risks of reinjury and osteoarthritis, the timing of return to sports after surgery is important. Although there are numerous studies on the return to sports (RTS) criteria in athletes who have undergone knee surgery, there are no studies on the return to dance (RTD) criteria after knee surgery in dancers. In this retrospective clinical study, we investigated the rates of osteoarthritis and reinjury after arthroscopic knee surgery and the criteria for RTD.

Materials and Methods: In a professional dance group consisting of 84 members (mean age: 29.8 ± 9.2  range: 18 to 49 years), during an 11 year period (between January 2009 and January 2020), 14 dancers (mean age 29.1±5.7 (20-38) years) sustained knee injuries (3 meniscus tears, 4 Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears, 1 Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL), 1 patellar dislocation, 1 infrapatellar bursitis, 2 Hoffa’s fat pad syndromes, 2 symptomatic medial plicas) that required arthroscopic surgery. The RTD  times after surgery, follow up lenghts, clinical and functional tests used for deciding on RTD were recorded.

Result: The postoperative follow up period was 56.7± 23 (26-108) months. The rate of reinjury was 7.14% after knee surgery. All dancers who underwent knee surgery were evaluated for osteoarthritis according to the Kellgren Lawrence classification, and the ostearthridites were classified as G:0 in 7 patients, G:1 in 3 patients, and G:2 in 4 patients on final knee radiographs.

Conclusion : In dancers who have undergone arthroscopic surgery, the return to dance criteria should assess painless repeated turnout after meniscus repair, and also safe landing and postural contol after ACL reconstruction or PCL reconstruction.