Knee Waiver

[lax014]

After being final select for OCS, I tore my ACL before leaving. I am applying for a medical waiver for an ACL tear and keep getting rejected. Before tearing my ACL I was final select and now am TNPQ. So to get this waiver I have applied once with doctors notes and passing a PRT, I am still TNPQ. I would like to see a NAVY orthopedic physisian, take a look at the knee and have them agree my knee is healed.

My question; is it possible as a civilian to get an appointment to see a NAVY doc? That is one outside of MEPS that is a specialized orthopedic, or is MEPS my only option?

I run 4 miles a day and my knee feels absolutley great, any tips for the waiver to prove to them I am physically qualified would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[CommodoreMid]

I don't know if the OCS medical waiver process is different from the NROTC/USNA one, but when I was applying for a waiver for my torn/repaired ACL, I was able to see a Navy orthopedist and he gave me the OK.

 

[feddoc]

I don't think you are eligble to see a Navy doc...however, someone more familiar with the OCS system may be able to give a more accurate answer. Did an ortho doc write the note? Who monitored your PRT?

 

[lax014]

A LT. at the Great Lakes Base, 9:54 mile n half, sit and push excellent low good high(which i just realized, i could probably ask him to put together a letter recapping my performance). Im getting new letters from my orthopedic surgeon, my physical therapists, along with all medical records. My recruiter is looking into it but thought I would only be able to go MEPS.

 

[lax014]

I also dug up the medical waiver guideline for knee injuries stating the criterias that need to be meet. Im having the docs write up new letters covering that specific information

 

[pourts]

You said you tore your ACL, but never mentioned if you had it repaired. If I remember correctly it MUST be repaired, but check with the waiver guide online. I did Marine OCS, here's what I had to do for my knee:

1) All documents from my surgeon, pre and post op, including those little pictures they take of the new ACL.
2) I moved, so 8 months after the surgery I got a letter from another orthopedic surgeon saying that I was back to 100% and "fit for intensive training... blah blah doctorspeak" and "asymptomatic"
3) The paperwork from the civilian doctors worked fine for applying for my waiver. I had to go to MEPS anyways for my first physical, and they checked me out with the duck walk and everything and signed off on my knee.

OSO sent all the paperwork in and a couple months later everything came back approved.

Make sure you keep multiple copies of all of this medical information, because you will need it several more times down the road and things always seem to get lost on their end.

 

[cbduke]

You said you tore your ACL, but never mentioned if you had it repaired. If I remember correctly it MUST be repaired, but check with the waiver guide online.

Just fyi - I have a complete tear of my right ACL and never had it repaired. (I got full range of motion/stability/performance back with physical therapy and haven't had a problem in the 6 or so years since it happened). I got a waiver for it, and other then the flight doc taking a glance at the waiver during my yearly upchit, it's never been an issue. Definitely check the NOMI waiver guide for the most up to date and accurate information though.

 

[feddoc]

I also dug up the medical waiver guideline for knee injuries stating the criterias that need to be meet. Im having the docs write up new letters covering that specific information

Good advice you gave yourself. Make it easier on the people giving the waiver = better chance for success.

 

[btlawson22]

Hey all, I was wondering what you all think about this: I tore my ACL in 2000 and had it repaired and its perfect now. I went through meps for the marines around 2004 and had my knee signed off on but did not finish the process for marines. Now Meps tells me they purge results every 2 years so that is gone from them. The doctors purges documents every 7 years. Is there a test or a waiver that I can get to show my knee is fine or am I just hosed?

 

[armada1651]

Hey all, I was wondering what you all think about this: I tore my ACL in 2000 and had it repaired and its perfect now. I went through meps for the marines around 2004 and had my knee signed off on but did not finish the process for marines. Now Meps tells me they purge results every 2 years so that is gone from them. The doctors purges documents every 7 years. Is there a test or a waiver that I can get to show my knee is fine or am I just hosed?

That's why you should always keep copies of all things medical (and most other things too).

I tore my ACL when I was a NROTC mid and it put me on medical LOA for the better part of a year. To get my scholarship reinstated, I believe I got an orthopedist to take a look and write up that it was stable and good to go and I also had a physical therapist put me through a bunch of strength and agility tests. Like the other guy said, look up the waiver guidelines, take them to the doctor and/or therapist, and explain exactly what you need. Because I had to jump through so many hoops to get my scholarship back, my knee was VERY well documented by the time I had my commissioning physical and I had no trouble getting a waiver.

Granted, this is a NROTC perspective - not exactly what you need - but I think the basic premise is still true: find out what the Navy wants to hear, then get a doctor to put exactly that in writing.

 

[feddoc]

Hey all, I was wondering what you all think about this: I tore my ACL in 2000 and had it repaired and its perfect now. I went through meps for the marines around 2004 and had my knee signed off on but did not finish the process for marines. Now Meps tells me they purge results every 2 years so that is gone from them. The doctors purges documents every 7 years. Is there a test or a waiver that I can get to show my knee is fine or am I just hosed?

Eight years post-op, if you are pain free and have full ROM, I don't see a problem. Tell the docs what happened; they will examine your knee, maybe take XRAYS. Pretty simple.

 

[MasterBates]

I had my knees fixed after numerous small crap added up. No waiver needed, just had full ROM and normal strength.