A knee injury produces no objective disability or work restrictions but the physician prescribes a stretch leg brace. What is the standard rating for the knee?

• A. 10%
• B. 15%
• C. 25%
• D. 40%

Answer: (D)

The key idea is how impairment is determined in California workers’ compensation: the permanent disability rating for a knee is guided by the Permanent Disability Rating Schedule, and the need for ongoing mechanical support reflects a substantial level of impairment even if there are no objective disabilities or work restrictions documented. When a knee injury is treated with a stretch leg brace, it signals persistent functional impairment of the knee—instability or a condition that still limits use—so the rating system assigns a relatively high impairment value to recognize that ongoing limitation. In this standard framework, requiring a knee brace corresponds to a 40% permanent impairment for the knee, which is higher than milder impairment levels. The other options would correspond to lesser levels of impairment that wouldn’t align with the significance implied by the brace prescription.