A knee injury treated in 2004 with a knee brace and no loss of motion; what is the standard rating?

A knee injury treated in 2004 with a knee brace and no loss of motion; what is the standard rating?

• A. 0%
• B. 10%
• C. 7%
• D. 15%

Answer: (B)

In permanent impairment ratings for the knee, the assessment isn’t based only on how much the joint can move. It also accounts for ongoing instability or functional limits. If a knee injury was treated years ago and still requires a knee brace, that brace signals persistent instability or weakening of supporting structures, which the impairment schedule assigns as a 10% impairment even when there’s no loss of motion. So, even with full ROM, the need for a brace typically yields a 10% rating. A 0% would ignore the ongoing instability, while the other listed percentages don’t align with the standard rating for a brace-supported, ROM-preserving knee impairment.

In permanent impairment ratings for the knee, the assessment isn’t based only on how much the joint can move. It also accounts for ongoing instability or functional limits. If a knee injury was treated years ago and still requires a knee brace, that brace signals persistent instability or weakening of supporting structures, which the impairment schedule assigns as a 10% impairment even when there’s no loss of motion. So, even with full ROM, the need for a brace typically yields a 10% rating. A 0% would ignore the ongoing instability, while the other listed percentages don’t align with the standard rating for a brace-supported, ROM-preserving knee impairment.