01Types of compensable knee injuries.
- Meniscus tears — medial and lateral; partial vs. complete; surgical vs. conservative
- ACL tears — full and partial; with or without reconstruction
- MCL and LCL injuries — sprains and tears of collateral ligaments
- PCL injuries — less common but more disabling when present
- Cartilage and chondral defects — chondromalacia, osteochondral lesions
- Patellar injuries — fractures, dislocations, tendon ruptures
- Tibial plateau fractures — high-impact trauma; serious permanent disability common
- Post-traumatic arthritis — develops years after the initial injury, separately compensable
02The SLU math for legs and feet.
NY assigns 288 weeks for the leg at 100% loss of use, 205 for the foot. The formula is the same as the shoulder:
(Your Weekly Rate) × (288 or 205 weeks) × (% Loss of Use) − (indemnity already paid)
At the current maximum weekly rate ($1,222.42):
- 15% SLU of the leg = $1,222.42 × 288 × 15% = ~$52,809
- 30% SLU of the leg = $1,222.42 × 288 × 30% = ~$105,617
- 50% SLU of the leg = $1,222.42 × 288 × 50% = ~$176,029
Knee injuries typically pay through the leg schedule (288 weeks). Foot injuries below the ankle joint pay through the foot schedule (205 weeks). Knee replacements and serious post-traumatic arthritis push SLU percentages high — 40%+ is common after a total knee replacement.
03Knee replacements and SLU.
Total knee arthroplasty produces high SLU percentages because the formula values loss of motion, instability, and structural change — and a replaced knee, by definition, has all three. NY's 2018 Guidelines provide for high baseline SLU for replacement procedures, with adjustments for outcome.
What this means practically: if work-related cartilage or ligament damage eventually leads to total knee replacement, the eventual SLU award is substantial — frequently 40–60% — even when the immediate post-op function is reasonably good. The case stays open through the replacement; don't accept early closure of a knee case that's likely heading toward arthroplasty.
04Consequential injuries to the other leg.
Knee injuries change how you walk. Altered gait often produces injuries to the contralateral leg, hip, or low back — frequently years after the original injury. These "consequential injuries" are causally related and separately compensable:
- Opposite-knee arthritis from years of altered weight-bearing
- Hip injuries on either side from gait abnormalities
- Low back conditions from compensatory lumbar mechanics
- Ankle and foot conditions from altered loading
The carrier will resist these claims. The medical narrative — clearly tying the new condition to the original injury through the altered gait — is the evidence that wins them. They are sometimes worth more than the underlying knee case.