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DQ'd Due to Patellar Tendinitis

Hopeful Hoya

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Didn't see any other topics about this so wanted to ask.

In fall 2011 I developed mild patellar tendinitis due to overuse from playing a lot of tennis on hard courts. Saw an orthopedist, they proscribed a month of PT to strengthen my leg muscles, after a month no pain remained. Played a full season of competitive tennis on hard courts and have been running with no issues.

But I got DQ'd today at MEPS for it. Understand its waiverable but how readily are waivers granted and do I sound like a good case? Everything else checked out so this is the proverbial "make or break" for me.
 

fieldrat

Fully Qualified 1815
I really can't toss odds around as to if/how/when waivers can be done for stuff, but I would say get a letter from an orthopedic specialist/surgeon stating that:
  • the cause was most likely overuse and
  • was treated non-medically on an out-patient basis
  • recovery is 100% with no loss of function
  • unlikely to recur
Since you are applying for one of the aviation designators, try appealing through N3M (sp?).

Also, until you have a final disposition, one way or the other, consider not playing tennis for a while.
 

Hopeful Hoya

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Yeah I have a consult scheduled for Monday with an orthopedic surgeon, and the original files from my treatment are good since they show a complete lack of pain by the end of the treatment. I have to wait until Wednesday for my HIV test and blood work to come back but after that I'll be appealing to N3M for a waiver.

Guess I should say too I was actually diagnosed with patellofemoral syndrome and not patellar tendinitis, but they're pretty similar.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Yeah I have a consult scheduled for Monday with an orthopedic surgeon, and the original files from my treatment are good since they show a complete lack of pain by the end of the treatment. I have to wait until Wednesday for my HIV test and blood work to come back but after that I'll be appealing to N3M for a waiver.

Guess I should say too I was actually diagnosed with patellofemoral syndrome and not patellar tendinitis, but they're pretty similar.

MEPS doesn't make the call (DQ or PQ) on officer applicants, they gather the info and it goes to N3M for a determination.
 

Hopeful Hoya

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Yeah that's what I thought, but the Doc checked a box saying "Disqualified for Service" and I had to sign an acknowledgment, and he said the ultimate authority as to whether I would receive a waiver rested with N3M.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Yeah that's what I thought, but the Doc checked a box saying "Disqualified for Service" and I had to sign an acknowledgment, and he said the ultimate authority as to whether I would receive a waiver rested with N3M.

N3M may not even consider this an issue, or they may, the consult will provide them with the info they need.
 

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
Chronic PFPS is disqualifying for commissioning. I think the key to a good outcome in your case will be addressing the chronicity of your condition. If you've truly been asymptomatic for years after the initial injury, I don't think this should be disqualifying. You might end up with an MRI of the knee to prove there is no residual abnormality, but I'd start with the ortho evaluation and see if that gets you through the door. For some reason I can't open the Aeromedical Waiver Guide tonight, but aviation may have different standards. Review the aviation requirements prior to going to ortho, and make sure the doc addresses everything you need for an aviation waiver while you're there. Remember, a waiver for commissioning carries no weight on the aviation side. You can be PQ or NPQ with a waiver for commissioning, and NPQ with no waiver for aviation.
R/
 

Hopeful Hoya

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Chronic PFPS is disqualifying for commissioning. I think the key to a good outcome in your case will be addressing the chronicity of your condition. If you've truly been asymptomatic for years after the initial injury, I don't think this should be disqualifying. You might end up with an MRI of the knee to prove there is no residual abnormality, but I'd start with the ortho evaluation and see if that gets you through the door. For some reason I can't open the Aeromedical Waiver Guide tonight, but aviation may have different standards. Review the aviation requirements prior to going to ortho, and make sure the doc addresses everything you need for an aviation waiver while you're there. Remember, a waiver for commissioning carries no weight on the aviation side. You can be PQ or NPQ with a waiver for commissioning, and NPQ with no waiver for aviation.
R/

Evening sir,

I found a working link to the Orthopedics section of the NAMI waiver guide: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/WaiverGuide/13_Orthopedics.pdf

The guide seems to deal more with tears and reconstruction of the knee ligaments, rather than the type of chronic pain that does not affect knee stability. I have done a lot of searching around and have found little information regarding PFPS, both in the NAMI guide as well as the N3M 117 physical standards guidelines. Is there something I'm missing when reading them or is there another area you would recommend I look?
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Yeah that's what I thought, but the Doc checked a box saying "Disqualified for Service" and I had to sign an acknowledgment, and he said the ultimate authority as to whether I would receive a waiver rested with N3M.

N3M makes the final call. N3M will review your MEPS physical, applicable medical documents, and your letter of activity statement explaining how this isn't an issue.
 

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
DoD instruction 6130.4 governs physical standards for accession. That's the first hurdle.
R/
 

Hopeful Hoya

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Yeah I read through that and saw it's a DQ. I guess all that I can do is go to the consult and hopefully the doctor can write something to the effect I'm fully cured and the PFPS should not recur. Would it also be work calling N3M and asking to speak to a doc (I've heard of some applicants doing that before) and just asking what specifically they would be looking for to grant a waiver so I can make sure that I do everything I need to during the consult?
 

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
Hoya,
I would defer to the recruiters on this site as to protocol, but as a doc, I'd prefer to be contacted by the recruiter rather than by the service member.
We really didn't like it when Mom or Dad called and berated us for not giving junior a waiver.
R/
 

Hopeful Hoya

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Completely makes sense, thanks Doc. I'll just pray that everything goes smoothly tomorrow with the consult and see what N3M says.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Yeah I read through that and saw it's a DQ. I guess all that I can do is go to the consult and hopefully the doctor can write something to the effect I'm fully cured and the PFPS should not recur. Would it also be work calling N3M and asking to speak to a doc (I've heard of some applicants doing that before) and just asking what specifically they would be looking for to grant a waiver so I can make sure that I do everything I need to during the consult?

N3M rarely picks up the phone, even for recruiters, and it doesn't matter what a person tells them, they only go by what is in the medical documents, if something goes wrong down the road that is the only thing another person will be able to review to see if the call was proper or not.

I had a conversation with the N3M doc years ago, I had a candidate for a hard to fill designator, there were some medical issues I mentioned this candidate was a hard to fill designator, the N3M doc said the person either meets the requirements or not.
 
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