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

• A. 10 percent
• B. 15 percent
• C. 20 percent
• D. 25 percent

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that permanent impairment for a knee can be established by the presence of a treatment device, not just by objective work restrictions. When a knee injury doesn’t produce measurable disability affecting work but a stretch knee brace is prescribed, this indicates a permanent functional deficit that the rating schedule recognizes. The brace signals ongoing instability or ligamentous issue that remains a part of the knee’s condition, and the California impairment schedule assigns a fixed impairment value for this situation. In this scenario, the appropriate rating is ten percent. Higher percentages would reflect additional objective findings such as reduced range of motion, instability with functional limitations, or the need for surgical intervention, which are not stated here.