Disability evaluation of the neck and back. The McBride system

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Occupational Medicine
• Disability Evaluation

Background:

• Assessing residual permanent disability from spinal impairment necessitates a comprehensive examination.
• Current trends may equate disability with lost earnings, diverging from traditional views.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a method for computing permanent disability from spinal impairment.
• To simplify the calculation of disability percentages.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing McBride's formula, which considers 12 variables.
• Simplifying the formula to seven weighted components: quickness of action, coordination, strength, security, endurance, safety, and adverse employability.

Main Results:

• The simplified seven-component method provides a valid determination of the percentage of disability.
• This approach allows for a structured assessment of functional deficiency and physical disorders.

Conclusions:

• A careful examination and diagnosis are crucial for accurate spinal disability evaluation.
• The simplified formula offers a practical approach to quantifying permanent disability.
• Distinguishing impairment from disability determination is important in some cases.