For an injury to the knee in a cook aged 38, after adjusting for occupation, what effect does the age have on the rating?

• A. -2%
• B. +0%
• C. +2%
• D. +4%

Answer: (B)

The rating adjustment for age in the context of an injury, such as one to the knee, generally considers how age can impact recovery times and the potential for long-term impairment. In this specific case, the age of the injured cook is 38, which is often considered a relatively young age for many occupational injury assessments.

When adjusting for the age factor after already accounting for the occupation, a neutral impact is often assigned, resulting in a 0% change. This indicates that at the age of 38, the cook would not see a positive or negative adjustment based on age alone, implying that their age does not negatively or positively influence their rating for the knee injury compared to other potential factors like the severity of the injury or the physical demands of their job.

The neutral adjustment suggests that other aspects, such as the occupation (which has likely been factored into the overall evaluation), play a more significant role. Therefore, in this case, selecting a zero percent adjustment reflects the idea that age, while a factor in overall health, does not alter the rating in a significant way for a 38-year-old in this occupation with respect to the specifics of the injury.