Table 1 TeMPO Trial Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

 Age 45–85

 Lives within 60 miles of a clinical site

 English speaking

 Has access to email

 Not living in a nursing home

 Physician suspects meniscal tear with symptoms

 WOMAC* (knee) pain ≥15

 Meniscal tear present on MRI^† (taken in the last year) and aligning with symptomatic compartment

 Degenerative cartilage changes on MRI (taken in the last year)

Exclusion Criteria

 Equal bilateral symptoms of meniscal tear (in both knees)

 Deemed by physician as “not fit” for a trial of conservative knee treatments due to behavioral or social reasons, being seen for reason other than knee pain, indication for surgery, or contraindication for physical therapy

 Pregnant

 Dementia documented in medical record

 Inflammatory arthritis or avascular necrosis of the knee

 Surgical exclusion (surgery within 6 months on index knee, planned TKR‡ within 6 months, prior knee replacement, or meniscal surgery on index knee)

 Claiming worker’s compensation for knee pain

 Requires use of wheelchair or walker

 Contraindication to or concerning findings on MRI

 Exercise exclusion: physician recommends against unsupervised exercise

 Daily use of strong opioids

 2 deferments due to injection or lack of availability

 Kellgren Lawrence grade 4 osteoarthritis on X-ray

 Currently in a knee physical therapy regimen for 2 weeks or more at a frequency of once a week or more

 Knee pain arising from trauma < 21 days ago

 Physician exclusion (opted out, unfit for trial participation)