ptsd Should I Claim Knee Pain?

[doco2279]

Good morning. This is my first post here. This site has been very helpful since I started reading it. I applied for PTSD starting back in June 2013. I was in Sadr City, Iraq in 2004-2005. I waited 8 years to claim, but my wife and parents were pushing me to claim it. I was awarded last month 50% for MDD. While I was applying for compensation, I was fixated on just getting the PTSD/MDD taken care of. Now that is over with, I am considering filing for the patellar femoral syndrome that I was diagnosed with back in 2008. At that time, I was called up to re-activate from IRR. I was released from that due to my patellar femoral syndrome, which I believe is service connected. It is intermittent pain and causes me difficulty walking at times. I'm not sure how much success I will have though, considering I was never treated for it while I was active duty, and it comes and goes, so I'm not sure how a C&P exam would go. I do have medical records however from my civilian primary care giver and orthopedic specialist showing that I have PFS. Any thoughts or advice? I don't want to waste my time if I don't have a chance of getting a rating.

Thanks

[militarynurse]

Look at it this way: If you don't file, you get zilch.

[broncovet]

The decision turns on the nexus. Did you have an inservice event which could be linked to knee pain? For example, did you fracture your leg in service? (I did and have knee pain.)

Also if you jumped out of the sky, that can cause knee pain even if you have no symptoms while in the military.

Just look at the whole picture and think, "If I was the decison maker, would I award benefits?"

If you sincerely think your knee pain is related to service, then file for benefits. However, if you can not see a connection of your knee pain to the military, then dont waste time and resources..save those for a Veteran who is service connected. You know this better than we do..we dont know your health history.

[doco2279]

Thanks for all the advice. Cooter, as far as MOS...I was a medic while I was enlisted for four years, and did another four years as a Field Artillery Officer. Most of the time as an officer, I was locked into an FSO (fire support officer) role. During that time, I was jumping off my Bradley all the time. I also went through jump school, but I don't think 5 jumps would have caused the pain. However, jumping down from my Bradley over and over....might have contributed. As far as a traumatic injury that could have caused the patella femoral issue, I didn't experience anything like that. Just repeated pounding over a four year period.