Degenerative arthritis- Back

[Frankgs]

I recently had back xrays done at the va and the notes below are written by my Rheumatologist. i currently have 10% Left and 10% Right knee Osteoarthritis. Are the findings below related at all to the osteoarthritis in my knees? Any translation is greatly appreciated

 

Findings: 7 views of the lumbar spine are submitted. There are

five non-ribbearing vertebral bodies. There is preservation of

normal lumbosacral lordosis. The disc spaces and vertebral body

heights are within normal limits. There is marginal osteophyte

formation involving the lower thoracic spine. The oblique views

show unilateral left L4 spondylolysis with no spondylolisthesis.

No significant bony neural foraminal encroachment. There is mild

facet arthropathy of the lower lumbar spine The sacrum and

sacroiliac joints appear intact. No paravertebral mass is

appreciated radiographically.

Findings: There is preservation of thoracic kyphosis with 12 rib

bearing thoracic segments identified. The visualized

cervicothoracic and thoracolumbar junctions appear grossly

normal. The visualized vertebral bodies and disc spaces appear

to be maintained in height. There are significant degenerative

changes of the lower thoracic spine with marginal osteophyte

formation. The pedicles appear symmetric. No acute fracture,

malalignment or focal paravertebral soft tissue abnormality is

identified.

[GBArmy]

Usmc03031 Welcome to Hadit. I'm not sure what your question is. Are you saying you have arthritis in your back and it was secondary to a MST event? Do you have a VA disability; when and what rating? Any others approved? Can you explain further.

[Buck52]

On 3/12/2021 at 6:54 PM, Usmc03031 said:

Mst

 

Not sure what  question you want or need to ask  but I can give you some starters.

First go get help/treatment  you can do this with the VAMC MH Clinic  and ASK FOR A MST Coordinator ..they speak to you in private  and  after they talk to you they will get a LCSW that best fits your comfort zone , this is never easy to talk about  and the VA MH Clinic therapist are some of the best in the Nation.

YOU ASK YOUR PREFERENCE OF THE THERAPIST  MALE OR FEMALE.

They will diagnose you after they evaluate you  its a long process and some of the questions are very personal but they need to know what happen and when time and date and the location of the Incident  while you were in the military.  

After you start treatment  then you can come here and ask questions as for as filing a compensation claim for MST/PTSD RELATED with the off-sets to that  like Anxiety disorders /depression disorders or what ever the trauma cause you to have  there are several symptoms of MST/PTSD....They will figure out those symptoms after your evaluation. you need to meet the rating criteria and depending on your symptoms is how they figure out your rating  its usually a PTSD Rating  due to MST.

Even if this happen years ago  you can still get treatment and file a compensation claim. your diagnosis will need to come from the VA.

IF you have a  PRIVATE diagnosis already  you can mention this to your VA MH COORDINATOR .

But for compensation purposes  the MH Diagnosis needs to come from the VA.

[Foxhound6]

On 12/27/2019 at 8:31 AM, Buck52 said:

yes well maybe a hadit member that as a condition such as yours can chime in here and let you know what all is needed? , some conditions can cause a secondary condition and the claim would be a secondary claim to that S.C. Condition

Either way you need to talk to your Dr about this  ask him these questions  because your going to need this information coming from a Qualified Dr

our opinions do not count. but  a member that has a related condition such as yours maybe able to help you.  keep watching your post.

I am currently going thru something similar. However, my first exam (was with the VA itself) wasnt great and they had a DTA and gave me a new exam which I just finished the other day. My issues are close to yours but with my thoracic junction which I have been told is very strange place to have it as they usually see it in places like where yours is. With that it has made it difficult to see it on radiographical images. So my rheumatologist, for now, is calling it Non-radiographical axial spondyloarthritis. I have partial fusions, DDD, along with levoscoliosis and other crap going on there.

I originally claimed as an incident I had during active duty, but the examiner that I saw with the VA shot that down. However, he did not opine as to whether or not it could have been secondary to my left knee SC issues over the long term. Myself and my attorney pointed this out (I provided an IMO from a board certified internal medicine MD) and they gave a new exam. This one felt like it went well and I even had far better xray results to present and symptoms. I just have to hope the examiner opines in my favor as my issues being secondary to my left knee issue. I may have to have an EMG done as well as the examiner at recent exam noticed I had absent reflex in both my knees and ankles.