DBQ Medical Opinions?

[maleboog]

Hello to all!!

Love the site, learned alot. I am currently SC for a plethora of items and am 10% for left Knee Strain and 10% for the right knee.   My questions is I applied for the following:

Left hip (Secondary), knee instability (2nd to left knee) (Secondary), chronic left knee strain (Increase) .  I went through the C&P process and inserted the medical opinions.  Looking for a idea on the favor-ability of the opinions? 

TYPE OF MEDICAL OPINION PROVIDED: [ MEDICAL OPINION FOR SECONDARY SERVICE  CONNECTION ]

    a. The condition claimed is at least as likely as not (50% or greater probability) proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service   connected condition.    

a.  Rationale: Claims for secondary service connection for the veterans left    hip secondary or proximally due to results of his chronic left knee strain  has been requested.

    On close questioning the veteran reported he had insidious onset of mild bilateral hip pain for the past 15 years.  Veteran's stated that he slipped and fell June 9, 2014.  Veteran claims that his service-connected left knee  gave way causing him to fall,thereby sustaining a comminuted fracture of his left patella requiring an open reduction internal fixation June 10, 2014.     Due to traumatic injury of his left knee an escalation of left hip pain and stiffness has occurred.  September 30 2016 bilateral radiographs of the hips:  Early DJD arthritis of both hips.

    Veteran has developed chronic bilateral degenerative changes of the hips, his

complaints of aggravation due to the injury of his left knee is substantiated

    by the current physical examination.  Additionally the veteran has altered  gait probably due to his bilateral service-connected knee conditions.

    ************************************************************************

The C&P examiner stated the below, and then I guess the RO asked for a opinion on the hip secondary:

"Addendum requests:
Opinion was provided stated the left hip condition was aggravated by the left knee condition. A request has been made to determine or provide a baseline for the claimed left hip condition prior to any aggravation by the left knee strain. The baseline cannot be provided please state so. Reviewing the claims folder, prior to aggravation by the left knee strain there is no history or physical evidence which would indicate the veteran had a pre-existing complaints or impairment, therefore baseline would be at 0.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Curt

[Berta]

It is a favorable C & P exam....but I don't know how they will rate this....others here are more familiar with these types of claims.

I am wondering if the DJD arthritis can be claimed separately as SC.....as well......

Others will know.

 

 

[maleboog]

Thanks for the reply....yea...the more I read about this stuff, the more I get confused...lol

I did forget to say that I am presently 90% SC

So a hypothetical....as you say they could rate the DJD.....do I have to do something or will the rater do everything and sort all that out?  Or would I have to wait until the decision and re submit stuff??  I do have a VSO but he is always busy, so hard to get ahold of

 

Thanks again and look forward to the answers