Rigorous, independent medico-legal assessments for personal injury, workers' compensation and medical negligence cases — with a subspecialty focus on the hand and upper limb.
Focussed hand and upper limb trauma experience, including microsurgery and peripheral nerve injury.
FRCS (1998), FRACS (2010). Former lecturer in anatomy at the University of Cambridge — deep anatomical knowledge.
Former Director of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ipswich General Hospital (2008–2012), with extensive experience managing complex cases.
GEPI 2nd Edition and AMA Guides 5th Edition assessments, with full methodology documentation and evidence-based reasoning.
Reports delivered within 14–21 days of instruction — timely support for your case progression.
Available for court attendance and expert witness testimony, with direct engagement with legal teams.
Comprehensive evaluation of whole-person impairment using GEPI 2nd Edition and AMA Guides 5th Edition. Suitable for personal injury, workers’ compensation and structured settlement negotiations.
Expert assessment of injury causation, mechanism and likelihood, supporting liability determination and negligence claims.
Independent review of clinical care, treatment appropriateness and deviation from standard practice; opinion on causation of complications or poor outcomes.
Assessment of ongoing treatment needs and reasonable future medical costs based on injury and impairment level.
Clinical opinion on breach of duty, causation and reasonableness of care, supporting settlement and litigation strategy.
Court attendance and cross-examination support, with clear, professional communication of medical opinion.
We receive instructions from your legal team with medical records, imaging and the specific questions to be addressed.
Thorough review of all documentation, with clinical examination of the claimant where required.
A detailed report setting out methodology, findings and opinion, with full documentation of reasoning.
Report delivered within 14–21 days, with ongoing support for clarifying questions or testimony.
Three professional reference apps for iPhone and iPad, bringing structured calculations and visible working to permanent impairment assessment.
Alongside his orthopaedic and medico-legal practice, Dr Melsom developed a suite of impairment calculation apps for registered health practitioners. The suite covers the upper limb, lower limb and spine, helping assessors follow a structured calculation process and review the working behind a result.
The published apps draw on the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 5th Edition, with optional Queensland GEPI 2nd Edition rules. They identify the selected assessment basis and allow calculation working to be exported for review.
June 2026
Upper Limb Impairment first released on the App Store.
July 2026
Spine Impairment and Lower Limb Impairment followed, extending the suite to three anatomical areas.
September 2026
Version 1.0.2 updates released across all three apps, including corrections to AMA5 and Queensland GEPI calculations.
Apple lists David Melsom as the developer of all three apps.
View app & download ↗ Hand, wrist, elbow & shoulder
A structured calculation workflow for upper limb impairment, including movement, nerve deficits, amputation and other supported assessment methods.
Download on the App Store ↗
View app & download ↗ Hip, knee, ankle & foot
Tools for lower limb assessment, including movement, strength, arthritis, limb length and diagnosis-based estimates, with step-by-step calculation working.
Download on the App Store ↗
View app & download ↗ Cervical, thoracic & lumbar spine
Spinal impairment calculations using diagnosis-related estimates and the AMA range-of-motion method where applicable. Queensland mode uses the DRE method.
Download on the App Store ↗For registered health practitioners. These apps support calculation and documentation; the examining clinician remains responsible for selecting the appropriate assessment method and checking results against the applicable source guides. App Store availability does not imply independent clinical certification. See each listing for compatibility and current availability.
Contact the rooms to discuss your assessment requirements, a quote and availability. Please ask how to provide records before sending sensitive case information. You can call us on (07) 3870 0116.
Include your name, organisation and contact number in your initial enquiry.
Enquire by email