USAFvet13

I was in a simialr situation. I was rated 10% L and 10% R patellafemoral syndrome for knee pain. I had this rating for 4 years. My knees became worse so I asked for an increase. On the last exam they found arthritis on one knee and gave me an additional 10% for that. From what I understand the knee is the only part of the body that can have two ratings. I'm not sure of the codes they rated mine under but I will look at my files.

It will help if the IMO also states that the doctor reviewed the veterans service medical records. And I may not be reading your post correctly but if you want the IMO to be in the favor of NOT being genetic and instead being due to his militiary service it needs to read: "as likely as not NOT a genetic condition" instead of "as likely as not a genetic condition". If you can get him to maybe instead of as likely as not, he will write " (insert husbands condition) is due to".

I had my C&P on 2 Dec and I called the 800 number the next week to check the status of my claim. The C&P results had been received but they told me they were waiting on my file to get back to them so the can review it. I called again today.. they said the same thing. I asked if taking 7 weeks for my file to make it back to them was excessive and they told me it has been a long time but not considered excessive. The RO is only 45 minutes away from where I had my C&P exam. And my C&P results made it within one week to them. Is 7 weeks for my file to show up excessive? I've heard stories of people's files turning up missing and I'm more than a little concerned with how long my files have been in transit....

Pyramiding isn't allowed but the knees can be evaluated under multiple diagnostic dodes. From what I understand on the knees you can have more than one rating. For instance I have two different ratings on one knee. One is rated under DC5003-5260 for 10% patella femoral syndrome and an additional rating under DC5257 for 10% on that same knee for instability. From what I gathered you could also have two different ratings if you have limitation of both flexion and extension. So if a person had limitations on both they would get two seperate ratings under different codes. I'll do some digging and try to find the source where I read this.

If you get service connected from your original claim then your new injury , (assuming your knee is further damaged now from it giving way), will be secondary. It will not matter that you are now civilian. The key is to have your knee service connected then any future injuries due to your knee, or if your knee worsens in the future it will all be service connected. As will any secondary issues that develop from having to compensate for a bad knee.

It messed up the table I posted.. You can find the ratings for the knee under the electronic code of federal regulations, Title 38: Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief, Part 4: Schedule for rating disabilities. http://ecfr.gpoacces...0.1.1.5.2.97.13

Here is the rating table for limited extension of the knee. Also crepitus can indicate arthritis and / or chondromalacia. If you do not get rated for either of those see about getting a medical opinion and file for it and also for a clothing allowance due to your brace. 5261 Leg, limitation of extension of:Extension limited to 45°50Extension limited to 30°40Extension limited to 20°30Extension limited to 15°20Extension limited to 10°10Extension limited to 5°

I just finished my C&P this past week. Just remember to be honest and don't hold anything back. If you do hold stuff in they will not get a clear picture of what you suffer with daily. When he asks how you are doing don't say "good" if you really are not. If you are not doing well that morning and are streesed out from worrying about the C&P and couldn't sleep tell him that. And don't be surprised when they throw an odd question or two in. My doc asked me what I thought "don't throw stones if you live in a glass house" meant.

Since it is in your records of the injury you can service connect it. Go see a doctor, or an ortho and get them to give you a diagnosis and see if they will connect it to your injury while in the military. Get it in writing and sumbit this with a claim. Your knee pain sounds like mine was. While in service I developed extreme knee pain.. it became so bad I couldn't go up or down stairs without sharp pain in both knees.. I couldn't run or squat without pain. I went to the base doctor and they sent me to specalists. They diagnosed me as having Chrodomalacia patella and patellafemoral syndrome. After my discharge my pain continued and my knees only got worse. I filed for service connection and was granted it for both knees. On the paperwork it states the disablities as L and R knee Chroldomalacia patella with patellafemoral syndrome. So yes, pain is enough to get service connection. But it will help if you get a doctor to diaginos you with something. And get a current doctor to write you a letter stating his opinion that your current knee pain is a direct result of your knee injury in 1982. Best of luck! Knee pain is awful.. if not corrected it will eventually lead to an altered gait and a messed up back.

Never mind, found it on the main page.

Where is this article located?

Are you in contact with any of the others that served next to you? You can get them to write "buddie letters" to help validate your working conditions. For the joint pain you need to get a doctor to write you an independant medical opinion stating that the work you did in the service directly contributed to your joint pain. Even though for most of us it is common sense that mechanic work and having to work on your knees and in akward positions will take it's toll on our bodies...the VA doesn't care about common sense, they only care about medical evidence. So get it in writing from your doc and submit it to help support your claim.

John, did it help your claim by delaying your BVA appeal and instead getting a hearing locally? Or did your claim still go to the BVA?

I've decided to take a different route. I was going to ask for my BVA hearing to be put on hold until I can get a DRO hearing locally. But, instead I'm going to ask that my request for a hearing be waved, and that my claim go straight to BVA for a decision. The advice given to me was that I have really good evidence in my favor, and that hearings a lot of the times do not help anything and slow the process down. I'll keep my post updated as my claim goes on so that it may help others in the future.

Not to hijack this thread but that is exactly what the VA is doing with my current claim. Is it possible change how your first claim was worded? Mine says "claiming back condition secondary to altered gait" The "altered gait" is getting me, its also all movement patterns requiring my knees, squatting , climbing stairs, lifting objects etc.. that hurt my back due to my sc knees. hijack over =)