Knee Rating

[hayley3]

I have bad knees. Was told I have crepitus but nothing found on xray. However, I cannot squat down or get back up without severe pain. I also have pain going downstairs.

In looking at the regs, it mentions knee replacement, and knee ankylosis, which I don't have. It also shows Knee Other with subluxation or lateral instability, which I guess I don't have either.

The C&P examiner had me move my leg up and down sitting on the exam table, but it doesn't hurt then.

Is there anyway to claim the pain I have when using my knees?

Also the report said about my hips, that my ROM was limited with weakness and pain and the xrays shows some sclerosis and cystic changes of right hip but were otherwise negative. Can't I claim that either? All I see is ankylosis of the hip.

I actually have like a tendonitis which doesn't show on xrays too well. But I didn't think the xrays were as important as pain and ROM. Still learning.

Thanks,

Susie

[hayley3]

Thanks, Rentalguy, I'm sc'd for Reactive Arthritis and my spine has arthritis in it and knees are normally a secondary condition for that diagnosis, but they said, "upon examination your gait was normal". So I guess that's what they are basing it on...my gait.

I am going to ask my PC doc why I am in so much pain in my knees but the xrays showed nothing and ask maybe for an ultrasound. I don't trust MRI's too much since my last one was messed up.

Also about the painful motion thing, the reg that sehinchee posted does say that painful motion is ratable. So I may quote that and see what they say at least. They forgot to include my spine in the C&P exam, so I have to send in a NOD anyway so I might as well mention it.

Thanks Teac. That was my conclusion too about the range of motion, but they said my shoulders and hips were limited by ROM, but they didn't give me anything for that either. And my hip at least shows something on the xray.

Thanks JR. I did get an IMO to get the Reactive Arthritis rated.

Susie

Edited July 16, 2008 by hayley3

[sehinchee]

Actually,

I am not sure if painful motion is rateable by itself. What I was refering to is similar to my situation. I had knee replacement surgery for whic I am rated 30%. During the C&P the doc sat me on a table and tested my ROM, which was good. The problem is that the knee is a weight bearing joint, which can have pain free range of motion when not bearing weight, but the same knee can be quite painful when doing simple weight bearing tasks such as walking or squatting. Hence the functional loss.

[Mcafee]

Hello all hope all is well. If I may, I also have bilateral Right and Left Knee conditions.Now in order for anyone to have any type of PAIN common sense tells us mmmmmmm there is something wrong or deficient in this condition .You Can not have PAIN without some type of defect in the Bone or Ligment or Knee Cap or arthritus and so on.There fore an X-Ray or even an MRI will not show the defect the only way for this to be addressed is arhtriscopic surgery or just plain surgery and even so this still may not show the defect.I have a mass behind each of my knees and the VA and there professors say there is absoloutely nothing wrong here its degenerative disease. Go Figure.The point i wish to make is if there is PAIN no matter where there is a defect at that point or area. I am having a Bad day I am so sorry folks argh.Oh sorry as for the codes all that apply are included from the lower level of your Body as this too is split into catagories.hence the Diag. Codes. ankle bone connected to leg bone is connected to the hip bone and so on.