• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Retained Hardware

srp_4737

Well-Known Member
Hey everyone,

Pretty new to the forum... already looked around and tried to find relevant info. Has anyone dealt with retained hardware in their ankle before? I am currently gathering medical paperwork for an injury I had in 2009. Long story short, I had no business playing football (but I tried to play football) and broke my tibia. I currently have 2 screws where the fracture occurred and have had no issues since. My recruiter is "concerned" with the problem and said he is not fully confident I will be qualified for SNA because of it. I am trying to submit for the fall board (have not even gone to MEPS yet).

If you guys have any advice that would be amazing. I have a letter from the doc back in '09 saying I am cleared to full activity... I am having issues locating physical therapy records though. Are PT records vital to get cleared? Will I have to go through a waiver process? If so, how long will it delay the process?

Thanks in advance!
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
If you guys have any advice that would be amazing. I have a letter from the doc back in '09 saying I am cleared to full activity... I am having issues locating physical therapy records though. Are PT records vital to get cleared? Will I have to go through a waiver process? If so, how long will it delay the process?

These are all questions your recruiter can field and assist. Each MEPS has its own SOP and more than likely your recruiter has worked with an applicant with a similar "injury" in the past.
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
One thread is plenty. Closed.

Edit: re-opened and closed the other duplicate.
 
Last edited:

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
As noted in the other thread, if all the conditions regarding retained hardware are met, the presence of retained hardware is Not Considered Disqualifying (NCD), and does not require a waiver. That applies for commissioning, and seems to be the case for aviation as well.

V/R
 

srp_4737

Well-Known Member
So i ended up getting the letter from N3M saying I’m PQ for all aviation jobs. I have a couple questions to clarify the difference between N3M and NAMI. Could NAMI look at my paperwork from MEPS and DQ me at OCS even if N3M gave me the green light? I also was reading the waiver guide for hypertension and it gives a limit of 139/89, meaning that a 140/x would technically be a DQ. I just remembered that my BP at MEPS was actually 140/80 and the guy at MEPS said “you barely made it” yet N3M didn’t mention anything about it and gave me a PQ? What is NAMI gonna do when they see that? Shouldn’t that have raised a red flag? Thanks, and sorry for my lack of understanding on how the N3M and NAMI process works. It’s just by biggest fear to go through OCS and have NAMI DQ me for the hardware in my ankle and or the BP that was high at MEPS. I would hate to end my current engineering career and be deemed not fit for service.
 
Last edited:

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
So i ended up getting the letter from N3M saying I’m PQ for all aviation jobs. I have a couple questions to clarify the difference between N3M and NAMI. Could NAMI look at my paperwork from MEPS and DQ me at OCS even if N3M gave me the green light? I also was reading the waiver guide for hypertension and it gives a limit of 139/89, meaning that a 140/x would technically be a DQ. I just remembered that my BP at MEPS was actually 140/80 and the guy at MEPS said “you barely made it” yet N3M didn’t mention anything about it and gave me a PQ? What is NAMI gonna do when they see that? Shouldn’t that have raised a red flag? Thanks, and sorry for my lack of understanding on how the N3M and NAMI process works. It’s just by biggest fear to go through OCS and have NAMI DQ me for the hardware in my ankle and or the BP that was high at MEPS. I would hate to end me current engineering career and be deemed not fit for service.

N3M only does a basic screening for commissioning as well as special programs like aviation, submarine, special warfare (SEALs) etc. Them or MEPS don't have the resources to complete a special duty screening. At OCS you will go through a full on NAMI screening and yes there's a possibility you can be DQ'd by NAMI (hence the "NAMI whammy").

If you read the N3M letter there's usually a paragraph saying "Defer to NAMI for suitability for aviation programs" meaning it's up to NAMI to make the final determination if you're medically cleared for Aviation or not.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
So i ended up getting the letter from N3M saying I’m PQ for all aviation jobs. I have a couple questions to clarify the difference between N3M and NAMI. Could NAMI look at my paperwork from MEPS and DQ me at OCS even if N3M gave me the green light? I also was reading the waiver guide for hypertension and it gives a limit of 139/89, meaning that a 140/x would technically be a DQ. I just remembered that my BP at MEPS was actually 140/80 and the guy at MEPS said “you barely made it” yet N3M didn’t mention anything about it and gave me a PQ? What is NAMI gonna do when they see that? Shouldn’t that have raised a red flag? Thanks, and sorry for my lack of understanding on how the N3M and NAMI process works. It’s just by biggest fear to go through OCS and have NAMI DQ me for the hardware in my ankle and or the BP that was high at MEPS. I would hate to end my current engineering career and be deemed not fit for service.

There is usually a sentence that says on the paperwork "N3M defers to NAMI for aviation programs"
 

srp_4737

Well-Known Member
There is usually a sentence that says on the paperwork "N3M defers to NAMI for aviation programs"
So what you’re saying is that there is no way to determine if I’ll be PQ unless I go to OCS? And why did N3M not mention my BP being 140/80? Isn’t that over the limit just barely?
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
So what you’re saying is that there is no way to determine if I’ll be PQ unless I go to OCS? And why did N3M not mention my BP being 140/80? Isn’t that over the limit just barely?

There's already another post on AWs regarding someone who's concerned with high BP.
 

RobLyman

- hawk Pilot
pilot
None
Consider talking to an orthopedic surgeon about removal. I had ankle surgery after I was already on flight status. I had two 2-2.5" screws in my ankle for 5 months. I had them removed after the ligaments and tendons healed. Before anyone jumps on the "You're not a doctor" thing. I said, TALK TO A SURGEON. And of course, talk to the recruiter and a flight surgeon if possible.
 

Attachments

  • Ankle Screws.jpg
    Ankle Screws.jpg
    59.3 KB · Views: 13
  • ScrewsRemoved.jpg
    ScrewsRemoved.jpg
    472.5 KB · Views: 21

srp_4737

Well-Known Member
Consider talking to an orthopedic surgeon about removal. I had ankle surgery after I was already on flight status. I had two 2-2.5" screws in my ankle for 5 months. I had them removed after the ligaments and tendons healed. Before anyone jumps on the "You're not a doctor" thing. I said, TALK TO A SURGEON. And of course, talk to the recruiter and a flight surgeon if possible.
Thanks for the advice. I had my surgery back in 2009 so the screws are completely embedded in the bone and removal is not possible (if I remember correctly). I really would love to send my xrays to a flight surgeon to get their opinion. Do you have any contacts or know anyone that would be willing?
 

srp_4737

Well-Known Member
If any flight surgeons are viewing this thread, here are my xrays. Happened in 2009, ran collegiate track and field for 4 years without any issues.
 

Attachments

  • Pages from Medical Images_Page_1.jpg
    Pages from Medical Images_Page_1.jpg
    41 KB · Views: 20
  • Pages from Medical Images_Page_2.jpg
    Pages from Medical Images_Page_2.jpg
    42.2 KB · Views: 19
  • Pages from Medical Images_Page_3.jpg
    Pages from Medical Images_Page_3.jpg
    48 KB · Views: 17

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
If any flight surgeons are viewing this thread, here are my xrays. Happened in 2009, ran collegiate track and field for 4 years without any issues.
Do you beep when going through the metal detectors at the airport? I was wondering with screws that small.

Excellent job on the ASTB
 
Top