DISABILITY BENEFITS FOR KNEE REPLACEMENT
Knee replacement involves removing parts from your knee joint and replacing them with artificial parts. Knee replacement is a very common type of joint replacement surgery.
Many different forms of arthritis can damage knees and cause so much pain and that cause the knees to be replaced. Certain knee deformities—such as bowed legs—can wear down the cartilage in your knees and create many difficulties for you. Knee damage can also stem from whats called avascular necrosis, or osteonecrosis. This is where the bones lose their blood supply, die, and eventually collapse.
If conservative care hasnt helped, your physician may suggest total knee replacement when pain and stiffness begin to interfere with your ability to perform daily activities. Your doctor may refer you to an orthopedic surgeon to determine if knee replacement is the right plan for you.
WHAT KIND OF MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION FOR OA IS NEEDED FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS:
How far can you walk?
How long can you stand for at one time?
Do you need a cane/walker to ambulate?
How much can you lift and carry?
Do you have difficulty stooping, bending, squatting, or kneeling?
From a scale from 1-10, what is your average pain level?
Do you have diagnostic tests such as X-Rays or MRIs
SSA looks at how your "impairments or diagnosis result in ”limitations" that prevent you from maintaining a full time job. Proving why you cannot work are the essential pieces of information that must be clearly and consistently documented throughout your medical records by the treating sources. SSA additionally utilizes the term "Residual Functional Capacity" (RFC). This is a key tool that analyzes physical and/or mental impairments from conditions/diagnosis for which the disability claim is based upon and how it can impact your ability to work. These RFC forms can be filled out by the treating physician who knows the patient and understands the limitations which result from his/her medical condition and thereby can document that patients RFC with specificity in the language of SSA disability. Your attorney must also work closely with your treating doctor to get the proper medial documentation of your specific findings and impairments into the medical records.