AMEPartially credited · orthopedics
In October 2015, Dr. Kasman stated that treatment of the thoracolumbar spine should remain with the June 1998 injury, as noted by Dr. Snook, but later walked back from providing opinions for the orthopedic injuries.
Dr. Kasman's October 2015 report acknowledged that treatment of the thoracolumbar spine should remain with the June 1998 injury, but he later walked back from providing opinions for the orthopedic injuries.
From the decision · page 4It appears the clearest statement of record regarding the cause of treatment for the thoracic
and lumbar spine is from agreed medical evaluator (AME) Dr. Kasman. It is acknowledged that
AME Dr. Kasman later walked back from providing opinions for the orthopedic injuries, however
in the October 2015, report he states "Therefore, treatment of the thoracolumbar spine should
remain with the June 1998 injury as cogently and correctly noted by Dr. Snook." (Joint Exhibit 1,
Report of AME Michael Kasman, M.D., October 2, 2015, page 145.) This statement appears
derived from AME Dr. Kasman's medical digest of the September 18, 2014 report of panel
qualified medical evaluator (PQME) Dr. Snook.
QMEPartially credited · orthopedics
Dr. Snook's September 2014 report stated that the medical record separates the two pain conditions and that care and treatment under the previous injury should continue, but it was unclear which body parts were associated with which condition.
Dr. Snook's report separated the two pain conditions and recommended continuing care under the previous injury, but did not clearly associate body parts with conditions, making causation unclear.
From the decision · page 4The actual September 18, 2014, PQME Dr. Snook report regarding future medical care
states however, "It would appear to me that the medical record clearly separates the two pain
conditions and that care and treatment under the previous injury should continue as has been
agreed to previously and has been provided by Dr. Conard and associates." (Joint Exhibit 2, Report
of PQME Lee T. Snook, M.D., September 18, 2014, page 83.) This statement is problematic
because PQME Snook provides several diagnoses which include pain: chronic pain due to trauma,
chronic pain syndrome, low back pain, pain disorder related to psychological factors, and
myalgia/myositis, myofascial pain. Also listed are additional diagnoses that could be reasonably
linked to pain conditions. (Joint Exhibit 2, at page 82.) It is not clear which body parts are
associated with which condition. It is even more tenuous to try and associate treatment for a body
part with an injury date.