Opinion on Rating

[RBrogen]

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to gut check my rating for my neck which I just had double laminectomy (c4/c5)

Rating was

   10% cervical spine degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and intervertebral disc syndrome

   20% radiculopathy left upper extremity

   20% raiculopathy right upper extremity

 

Here was my MRI: 

There is mild retrolisthesis of C3 on C4 and C4 and C5. Trace anterolisthesis of C5 on C6. Straightening of the cervical lordosis. Vertebral body height is preserved. There is no suspicious focal marrow replacing lesion. BROGEN, RANDY CONFIDENTIAL Page 4 of 6 There is intramedullary spinal cord signal abnormality seen at the C4 and C5 levels, consistent with myelomalacia, and progressed from the previous MRI. There is no evidence of syringohydromyelia. The visualized portions of the brain are unremarkable. The paraspinal soft tissues are unremarkable. Mild enlarged lateral level IIa lymph nodes are noted, nonspecific, and measuring up to 1.7 cm on the left.

SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS BY LEVEL:

C2-C3: No significant posterior disc abnormality. Mild, left greater than facet hypertrophy. Mild uncovertebral hypertrophy. Ligamentum flavum thickening. Minimal spinal canal stenosis. Mild left neural foraminal stenosis.

C3-C4: Posterior disc osteophyte complex. Mild bilateral facet and uncovertebral hypertrophy. Mild to moderate spinal canal stenosis with mild flattening of spinal cord. Mild bilateral neural foraminal stenosis, slightly worse on the left.

C4-C5: Posterior disc osteophyte complex. Mild to moderate bilateral facet and uncovertebral protrusion. Moderate to severe spinal canal stenosis with flattening of spinal cord. Moderate right and severe left neural foraminal stenosis.

C5-C6: Posterior disc osteophyte complex. Mild facet and uncovertebral hypertrophy. Mild to moderate spinal canal stenosis with slight flattening of the spinal cord. Mild right neural foraminal stenosis.

C6-C7: Posterior disc osteophyte complex. Moderate uncovertebral and mild facet hypertrophy. Mild spinal canal stenosis. Mild to moderate bilateral neural foraminal stenosis.

C7-T1: No significant posterior disc abnormality. No significant spinal canal or neural foraminal stenosis.

Conclusion: 1. Multilevel degenerative changes of the cervical spine as above, most pronounced at C4-5. 2. Intramedullary spinal cord signal abnormality seen at the C4 and C5 levels, consistent with myelomalacia and mildly progressed from the prior MRI. There is no evidence of syringohydromyelia. 3. Mildly enlarged bilateral level II cervical lymph nodes, nonspecific. Clinical correlation suggested

Edited July 13, 2019 by RBrogen

[Buck52]

 One of the biggest reasons why VA denies claims is the absence of medical evidence linking your disability to your service. If all you have are your own statements claiming the problem is related to your service, the VA will almost certainly deny your claim. get medical documentation!!!

 Don’t assume that the C&P examiner will say something favorable to your claim. You must take the responsibility to make sure your file contains a well-written, well-reasoned medical opinion from your doctor (preferably a private doctor). This can be of tremendous value in persuading the C&P examiner to write a favorable opinion.

[Buck52]

I believe other veterans here on hadit has had the surgery's like you have had , maybe some of them may see this post and  help out?

[RBrogen]

20 hours ago, kanewnut said:

 Did you not know this?

I actually didn't know it.  I landed hard on a jump and had pain and some tingling and numbness but didn't want to risk recycle if I went to sick call.  A few months ago, during another exam they did MRI of neck and found numerous issues including that my spinal cord had some signs of damage and that it was 80+% compressed around C4/C5.  The neurologist suspected that it had been broken.  They went back into my records and actually found old MRIs that showed the issue but I was never told about them back then.

[RBrogen]

18 hours ago, broncovet said:

A "broken neck" is not a symptom.  Its more of a diagnosis.  Once service connected, VA compensates you for symptoms.  What symptoms do you have?  

Symptoms are things like Pain, loss of range of motion, etc., etc.  

Numbness, tingling and pain down both arms and hands.  I drop stuff that I think I have a grip on, neck pain, clicking in my neck, can't sleep are among the main issues.

[Richard1954]

On 7/12/2019 at 7:29 PM, RBrogen said:

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to gut check my rating for my neck which I just had double laminectomy (c4/c5)

Rating was

   10% cervical spine degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and intervertebral disc syndrome

   20% radiculopathy left upper extremity

   20% raiculopathy right upper extremity

I cannot  comment on the actual ratings,  because there may have been more information that was used to rate  than teh MRI

Let me recommend that you go to the link:   http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/search.php

Look for the condition your service connected for, and you will find the ratings for that condition  Then compare your condition to each of the ratings listed for that condition.

 

[NoZZZ's]

Would the loss of lordosis result in a 20% rating because of abnormal spinal contour?

From militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com:

Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not
greater than 60 degrees; or, forward flexion of the cervical spine greater
than 15 degrees but not greater than 30 degrees; or, the combined range of
motion of the thoracolumbar spine not greater than 120 degrees; or, the
combined range of motion of the cervical spine not greater than 170 degrees;
or, muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait
or abnormal spinal contour such as scoliosis, reversed lordosis, or
abnormal kyphosis .............................................................................................. 20