Patient-reported and clinician-rated knee function scoring system.
The IKDC is a knee-specific outcome measure with two distinct parts: a subjective questionnaire completed by the patient covering symptoms, function, and ability to participate in sport, and a separate objective clinician-administered examination grading ligament laxity, range of motion, and effusion. The two forms are scored independently and are not meant to be combined into a single figure.
It gives clinicians a standardised way to track recovery and compare outcomes after ACL reconstruction and other knee ligament surgery, both for individual patient progress and across studies or caseloads. Because it separates what the patient reports from what the clinician finds on examination, it helps flag cases where symptoms and objective findings diverge, which can change return-to-sport or further-imaging decisions.
The subjective form is a self-report questionnaire the patient fills in at baseline and follow-up intervals, generating a score used to gauge symptomatic and functional recovery over time. The objective form is completed by a clinician during examination, grading laxity (e.g. via manual ligament tests), knee ROM, and effusion on a structured scale, typically alongside the subjective form rather than as a substitute for it.
A common misuse is quoting a single combined 'IKDC score' when the subjective and objective components measure different things and should be reported separately. The subjective form reflects patient-perceived function and is subject to recall and expectation bias, while the objective form depends on examiner technique and grading consistency, so neither alone gives a complete picture of knee status.
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.