Monocular vision and assessment of disability: a critical review of the current rules —baremo— applied by the social security system in Argentina

Abstract

A critical review of the set of rules in force in the social security system to assess the level of disability generated by monocular vision. It has been concluded that the distinction between monocular vision acquired before or after 45 years of age should be eliminated, since there are no scientific grounds to attach a significantly lower disability level to patients losing vision in one eye before this age. Loss of vision in one eye generates –in addition to the loss of the functional reserve of any paired organ- the loss of a peripheral visual field area and permanent loss of stereopsis, since this is only possible with binocular vision. To achieve depth perception, the monocular patient only has monocular cues and this is a very different situation from that of stereopsis.