Under the 1997 Schedule, the minimum loss of motion used to rate finger impairment is described as which?

Under the 1997 Schedule, the minimum loss of motion used to rate finger impairment is described as which?

• A. 1/2 inch
• B. 3 inches or more
• C. Barely touching
• D. 1 inch

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how the 1997 Schedule defines when motion loss in a finger becomes impairing. For fingers, the schedule uses qualitative descriptors to mark levels of loss, and the smallest recognizable loss is described as “barely touching.” This term signals a minimal but real loss of motion that still qualifies for an impairment rating, serving as the threshold for the lowest category of finger impairment. The other options rely on fixed inch measurements, which aren’t the descriptors used for finger impairment in this schedule. So “barely touching” is the appropriate way to express the minimum loss of motion used to rate finger impairment.

The key idea is how the 1997 Schedule defines when motion loss in a finger becomes impairing. For fingers, the schedule uses qualitative descriptors to mark levels of loss, and the smallest recognizable loss is described as “barely touching.” This term signals a minimal but real loss of motion that still qualifies for an impairment rating, serving as the threshold for the lowest category of finger impairment.

The other options rely on fixed inch measurements, which aren’t the descriptors used for finger impairment in this schedule. So “barely touching” is the appropriate way to express the minimum loss of motion used to rate finger impairment.