Opinion ID: 1368115
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Petitioner's medical history

Text: Prior to the injury of June 26, 1967, petitioner had suffered some difficulty with his back in 1963. In November of that year he experienced pain in his back and legs, plus numbness in his legs, and entered the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Los Angeles for treatment. A myelogram revealed disc degeneration between the 8th and 9th thoracic vertebrae; a laminectomy was performed. Some 18 months after the operation, petitioner no longer experiencing pain, resumed work. In June of 1967 he was employed as a truck driver with respondent Interior Construction Systems, performing the duties of his employment without physical difficulty or need for medical attention. While in the course of his employment, on June 26, 1967, petitioner slipped and fell, landing on his back and head. Within three or four days he began to experience pain in his back, and pain and numbness in his legs. His condition became worse, and on August 18 he ceased work. On August 21 he first sought medical assistance and was referred to Dr. Wolf, an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Wolf treated petitioner with physical therapy, which produced temporary relief of pain. Nevertheless petitioner's condition continued to deteriorate; he developed a peculiar gait and difficulties with his bladder and bowels. X-rays and myelograms taken in the autumn of 1967 did not reveal the cause of petitioner's difficulties. By June of 1968, when petitioner entered the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, he suffered considerable pain and could not walk without assistance. Tests revealed calcification between the 8th and 9th thoracic vertebrae, with calcifications protruding into the spinal canal. An operation removed a bony bridge and calcified disc material. After the operation petitioner suffered no pain, but experienced difficulty in moving his legs. As of January 20, 1969, the most recent medical examination in the record, he could walk with crutches, but remained totally disabled for employment.