Which type describes a report of an Airman's injury or illness that describes specific activities or functions to avoid to allow recovery or reduce risk of further injury?

• A. Functional restriction
• B. Duty restriction
• C. Functional limitation
• D. Duty limitation

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is how medical guidance is framed in terms of what an injured airman should avoid. The correct term is functional restriction because it specifies the exact activities or functions that must be avoided to promote recovery or reduce the risk of re-injury. In a report of injury or illness, a functional restriction translates into concrete guidance like “avoid running, heavy lifting, or bending beyond a certain angle”—clear avoidance instructions that direct what to refrain from while healing.

Functional restriction differs from functional limitation, which describes the impairment’s impact on ability (what you can’t do because of the injury) rather than what you must avoid. Duty restriction and duty limitation focus on the duties that can or cannot be performed, rather than the broader set of activities to avoid during recovery.