Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI): What is It? When is It?

Your workers’ compensation claim cannot be finalized until you have reached maximum medical improvement.  That does not mean that you are fully recovered.  Rather it means that you have made as good a recovery as you are going to make, and there is no prospect of further improvements over time or improvement with further treatment. 

Generally you are likely to have reached maximum medical improvement approximately twelve months post injury or twelve months post surgery.  It is possible for claims to be extended beyond this time if a medical examination supports an extension of the finalisation date.  It is not uncommon to extend the finalization date to eighteen months post surgery for shoulder reconstructive surgery such as a rotator cuff repair.  A knee reconstruction (ACL reconstruction) is usually fully recovered at twelve months.  Keyhole knee surgery may be suitable for finalization at six months post surgery or occasionally even sooner. 

Bear in mind that there are many factors that influence recovery times, such as age, and general health.