GP questions
What is the max you can get for Plantar Fasciitis Unilateral and Bilateral?
30%- Bilat- No relief from both non surgical and surgical treatment
20%- Unilat- No Relief from both non-surgical and surgical treatment
What is the purpose of a GP?
To validate the affiliates came plan for a veteran and see if it fits criteria for increase
First team to find where the back criteria for increase is on the 38 CFR
The spine- General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
How many ratings can a shoulder get?
2- Flexion /abduction AND dislocation/instability **IF APPLICABLE**
What does Medial and Distal mean
situated near the median plane of the body or the midline of an organ.
Closer to the body
What are the MPU payment amounts?
Dual Service- 500$ Mental AND medical
Single service 350$ Mental OR medical
What is P & T ?
P & T refers to permanent and total disability who are rated as 100% with no chance of improvement
What is the definition the VA has for incapacitating episodes on sinusitis- First team to find the notation in thh 38 ECFR
Note under the general rating
Note: An incapacitating episode of sinusitis means one that requires bed rest and treatment by a physician.
How can you increase shin splints and a joint at the same time?
Pin shin splints to the other joint (if applicable) such as ankle or knee- opposite of the one you are increasing.
Whenever you see these endings, -graphy, -graph, -gram, they relate to recording an image such as an X-ray, CT or MRI scan or a written recording with pen and moving paper
gastrectomy, electrocardiogram, electrocardiograph, laparotomy, etc
Do we increase Muscle Injuries?
No- we have yet to introduce this but its being looked into
When the involvement is wholly sensory the rating should be for mild or at most a moderate degree.
Can you have 0 on flare ups for a back
what does S/P - Status Post mean?
referring to a state that follows an intervention
Condition after; status post
After something has happened ex: surgery , event, procedure, experience
Simple medical terminology you should be aware of for knowing where in the body disability may be located
Skeletal System: This is important because when you have disabilities based of body landmarks it will make it easier to understand the concept of rating it.
Cranial/Cranium -- Skull
Cervical-- Neck
Clavicle -- Collar bone
Scapula -- shoulder blade
Sternum-- the part holding the rib cage together
Humerus -- bone under the bicep
Vertebrae -- Spine
Thoracic/lumbar/sacrum -- Spine/Back
Phalanges -- Fingers
Femur -- Bone in thigh
Patella - knee cap
Tibia/Fibula- Bones in lower leg
Tarsals/metatarsals- Bones in Feet
Radius/Ulna -- bones in forearm
carpal/metacarpal -- Bones in hands
Is Sinusitis, pansinusitis, Sinusitis, ethmoid, chronic. Sinusitis, frontal, chronic Sinusitis, maxillary, chronic. Sinusitis, sphenoid -- all rated the same?
Yes-- under the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis
What documents need STT at the end?
RDL,SS, DC **additional docs like dr notes (not including med recs) , sleep study's, EKDs, etc..
The joints factors of disability reside in which reductions of their normal excursion of movement:
(a) Less movement than normal (due to ankylosis, limitation or blocking, adhesions, tendon-tie-up, contracted scars, etc.).
(b) More movement than normal (from flail joint, resections, nonunion of fracture, relaxation of ligaments, etc.).
(c) Weakened movement (due to muscle injury, disease or injury of peripheral nerves, divided or lengthened tendons, etc.).
(d) Excess fatigability.
(e) Incoordination, impaired ability to execute skilled movements smoothly.
(f) Pain on movemen
What is the criteria for shin splints on the knee
10- Requiring treatment for no less than 12 consecutive months, and unresponsive to either shoe orthotics or other conservative treatment, one or both lower extremities
20- Requiring treatment for no less than 12 consecutive months, and unresponsive to surgery and either shoe orthotics or other conservative treatment, one lower extremity
Anatomical terms describe structures with relation to four main anatomical planes
how is prostatitis rated?
as voiding dysfunction and it will separate out when rated
What is pyramiding and how do you avoid it?
the VA term for rating the same disability – or same manifestation (i.e. symptom) of a disability – twice.
The evaluation of the same disability under various diagnoses is to be avoided. Disability from injuries to the muscles, nerves, and joints of an extremity may overlap to a great extents. Both the use of manifestations not resulting from service-connected disease or injury in establishing the service-connected evaluation, and the evaluation of the same manifestation under different diagnoses are to be avoided.
What is the Tool used for accurate measurement on length of stumps, excursion of joints, dimensions and location of scars with respect to landmarks, should be insisted on.
locate in the 38CFR where the definition and use of this tool is mentioned
Accurate measurement
goniometer in the measurement of limitation of motion is indispensable in examinations conducted within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Muscle atrophy must also be accurately measured and reported.
What's the rule for nerve conditions in the Upper extremities
Upper extremities cannot get multiple ratings
Main terms of location or to navigate
Superior and inferior- Superior (from Latin super 'above') describes what is above something and inferior (from Latin inferus 'below') describes what is below it.
Anterior and posterior - Anterior (from Latin ante 'before') describes what is in front, and posterior (from Latin post 'after') describes what is to the back of something.
Lateral and Medial- Lateral describes something to the sides of an animal, as in "left lateral" and "right lateral". Medial describes structures close to the midline, or closer to the midline than another structure.
Proximal and distal- proximal and distal are used to describe parts of a feature that are close to or distant from the main mass of the body, respectively. Thus the upper arm in humans is proximal and the hand is distal.