lumbosacral New Mri Results. What Are My Chances For My New Claim? Help Back Experts!

[silverdollar22]

Had my latest MRI done before my C&P and the results are in. Thought my back was hurting worse and the numbness and pain in my legs worse but WOW did'nt know it was this bad. I'm fileing for Degenerative Disc Disease of Back (secondary to: low back pain with minimal degenerative changes of left sacroiliac joint) (Secondary), Spinal Stenosis (affecting both legs) (New), Degenerative Arthritis (left hip) (New), Degenerative Arthritis (Lumbar spine) (New), Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (New). Here are my results,

Report:

MRI Lumbar Spine

Sagittal STIR and sagittal and axial T1 weighted, T2 weighted

images of the lumbosacral spine were obtained.

Findings:

Comparison to MRI of the lumbar spine on 8/4/11. Normal

alignment of the lumbar sacral spine is visualized. Heterogenuos

bone marrow signal is noted likely due to degenerative changes.

L5-S1 Modic type II changes. At T12-L1, L1-2 there is disc

desiccation, mild diffuse disc bulging with mild facet joint

hypertrophy without significant neural foramina narrowing.

Normal appearance for the patient's age. At L2 L3 there is a

right paracentral and foraminal disc protrusion with extrusion

and mild superior migration, producing narrowing of the right

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lateral recess and posterior displacement of the right L3 nerve

root. Protrusion contacts and produce mild displacement of the a

right L2 nerve root within the neural foramen. At L3-4 mild disc

narrowing and desiccation, diffuse disc bulging without

significant central spinal canal narrowing. Mild bilateral facet

joint hypertrophy without significant neural foramen narrowing.

Unchanged in comparison to prior At L4-5 there is disc

narrowing, bulging and desiccation with moderate facet joint

hypertrophy, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy and bilateral mild

neural foramina narrowing. Unchanged in comparison to the prior.

At L5-S1 severe disc narrowing and desiccation with moderate

facet joint hypertrophy, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy and

bilateral mild neural foramina narrowing. There is a mild

degenerative retrolisthesis of L5 on S1. Unchanged in comparison

to the prior.

The conus medullaris ends at the lower portion of L2 body. Cauda

equina demonstrated no compression. No evidence of paraspinous

soft tissue abnormality.

Impression:

1. L2 L3 right paracentral and foraminal disc protrusion with

extrusion and mild superior migration, producing mild

displacement of the right L2 nerve within the neural foramen and

the right L3 nerve within the lateral recess. Please correlate

clinically for right L2 and/or L3 radiculopathies.

What do you Experts think my chances are ??? I am service connected for my sacroillac and lower back at 10%.

Any help would be appreaciated,

Eric

Edited June 16, 2014 by silverdollar22

[jbasser]

Your rating depends on Range of motion or the amount of bedrest depending on your Diagnostic code. They dont rate off of MRI findings but yours is a mess, especially lower lumbar.

The max you can get is 60 percernt but the Nerves can be rated seperately for additional comp.

Basser

[silverdollar22]

Thanks,

After my last C&P when I pushed past the pain in my ROM, and now that i've found this forum, I know all about my ROM. But with very little movement now and my MRI should'nt they consider all of it together, even without DR. perscribed bedrest, and give me a rating on my pain and six buldging disks alone? Please tell me what should i be concerned with in my claim process now that i'm being scheduled for a C&P? You mentioned Codes. How do i find out what my Diagnostic codes are and what would be the big difference in them? Also, If i'm not mistaken, each leg can be rated seperate for numbness and pain right? Thanks for the reply and help.

Eric

[iceturkee]

Your rating depends on Range of motion or the amount of bedrest depending on your Diagnostic code. They dont rate off of MRI findings but yours is a mess, especially lower lumbar.

The max you can get is 60 percernt but the Nerves can be rated seperately for additional comp.

Basser

where are you getting 60 percent from? i thought range of motion ended at 50 percent is you had anklosing spondylithesis. you can get 100 percent on bed rest but good luck with that.

to answer his question, based on my experiences, 40 percent.

[Navy04]

I feel you bud, I hurt my back twice in the Navy. The VA denied my lower back pain claim last year, and my MRIs show otherwise. The VA kept giving me Xrays, and I told them once the MRIs were done they would see. Guess what, DDD, Nerve Damage, Bulging Disc and now a hole the size of a quarter in my Spine due to the VA waiting to long to do their job. Now the Surgeon says I can not have Back Surgery as there is a high possibility of being paralyzed, WTH! So I reopened my claim last week on Ebenefits for the lower back pain claim. I see you receiving the 50% based on the Wording and MRI results, unless you are or one day will be bed ridden and you will then get 100%. God Bless and keep us posted bud.

[iceturkee]

I feel you bud, I hurt my back twice in the Navy. The VA denied my lower back pain claim last year, and my MRIs show otherwise. The VA kept giving me Xrays, and I told them once the MRIs were done they would see. Guess what, DDD, Nerve Damage, Bulging Disc and now a hole the size of a quarter in my Spine due to the VA waiting to long to do their job. Now the Surgeon says I can not have Back Surgery as there is a high possibility of being paralyzed, WTH! So I reopened my claim last week on Ebenefits for the lower back pain claim. I see you receiving the 50% based on the Wording and MRI results, unless you are or one day will be bed ridden and you will then get 100%. God Bless and keep us posted bud.

i hope he gets 50. but i have the same issues and more plus a bad thracic spine and i am only 40 percent for my back. however, it is bad enough that it got me unemployability. but i am also wheel chair bound due to my back and inflammatory arthritis issues.

[silverdollar22]

Thanks for all the responces. I still work everyday because I have a family to support and every day I'm in pain. The worst thing about that is, the nurse at the plant where i work at says that i can't take any of the pain or mussle relaxers that the VA perscribed for me. I don't know how much more I can take of this without some kind of relief. I hope I at least get 40% but that won't be enough to get me out of here. I'll still have to work! Is their anything else that would help me get a higher rating? I'm thinking of telling my doc about my depression problems that i've been having dealing with this pain and the fact that i really can't do crap anymore. We'll see!! So the 40% you think I might recieve is for my back including my legs with the pain running down them together? I'm getting desperate and scared. Thanks