Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Causalgia, and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) has become the preferred term for a syndrome of pain that is usually out of proportion…
Spine and Pelvis Spine The AMA Guides offers two methods for spinal impairment rating: the diagnosis-related estimate (DRE) method and the range of motion (ROM) method. The ROM technique is…
Lower Extremity General Lower Extremity Guidelines In the evaluation of lower extremity (LE) impairments, there are six prime elements to consider: Diagnosis-based estimates (DBEs) Amputation Nerve injury Leg length discrepancy…
Upper Extremity General Upper Extremity Guidelines In evaluating upper extremity (UE) impairment, there are four prime elements to consider: Diagnosis-based estimates (DBEs) Amputation Nerve injury: (a) loss of sensation, (b)…
General Guidelines for Impairment Ratings Objective Findings Impairment ratings should be based on demonstrable anatomical loss of function. (See the exception for pain accompanied by objective findings of pain in…
Combining Multiple Impairments When an individual suffers multiple impairments and the impairment ratings are totaled, the situation may arise in which the total becomes unreasonably large or even exceeds 100%….
Common Terms This chapter defines common terms and explains how they are used in a practical sense in rating situations. Activities of Daily Living Activities of daily living (ADL) are…
Resources and Strategy The overriding concern of this manual is ease of use, but not at the expense of excluding information or cutting corners that would lead to inaccurate assessment….
General Principles and Philosophy Situations in which modern clinical physicians find themselves required to provide musculoskeletal impairment ratings are myriad. In fact, a practicing orthopaedic surgeon, neurosurgeon, physiatrist, or pain…
