SAR II

Thanks Carlie, I'll review that thoroughly before submitting anything else.

Thanks for the responses. I didn't know what "Deferred Decision" meant & therefore didn't know that the VA wasn't finished with my claim. I wish I had visited this forum before I haphazardly submitted my claim. I thought the VA would do a thorough exam and diagnose my problems. I was wrong. The VA x-rayed my knee and hip, a physician’s assistant gve me a brief exam, and I was sent packing with an acknowledgement of a previously injured knee, limited knee extension, and altered gait. This didn't give me a warm and fuzzy, so I scheduled an appointment with my personal physician and was then referred to an Orthopedic Surgeon. Subsequent X-rays & MRI's revealed the knee arthritis, hip bursitis, & torn hip labrum in addition to the knee limited extension and altered gait. These exams were submitted to the VA, but I didn't know I needed a nexus letter till I visited this forum. I thought it was obvious that my hip problems were due to my altered gait.

I had a meniscus tear in my left knee when I was in the Military, never recovered full range of motion in the knee, and I now have hip pain due to an altered gait. The VA documented that the knee extension is limited to 5-9 degrees, altered gate due to knee extension problem, arthritis in the left knee, bursitus in the right hip, & torn labrum on right hip. My claim was submitted without seeking help from someone familar with the process, which I suspect was a bad choice. I received my rating letter today: *10% for Degenerative joint disease status-post meniscus tear *0% for Limited extension, left knee *Deferred decision on right hip pain to include altered gait because they need additional information. Should I appeal or is this normal for these problems?