Hurt knee - Torn ACL

Laurantwins

Laurantwins

5-Year Member
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Feb 4, 2015
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DS is a sophomore in high school whose goal is to be a military officer. He is planning to apply to Service Academies and Senior Military Academies. He came hobbling home from football practice last night - and the verdict from the doctor this morning is "probable ACL tear". He'll have an MRI to confirm, with surgery once confirmed.

Will this be a disqualifying condition for him, when he applies during his senior year?

So worried and heartbroken for him.
:(
 
It maybe, but waiver-able.
Save/get copies of all documentation. Surgeon"s reports, follow up exams, discharge documents.
Once he has healed get a letter from the surgeon stating he is clear for full and unrestricted activities.
 
If you DS has ACL surgery and 12 months has lapsed since reconstruction and the knee is asymptomatic and stable they will qualify. Make sure you get good documentation. Most importantly will be the report that says "the knee is asymptomatic and stable" (I would also have added to the note released to full and unrestricted activity) .

If he only has an ACL injury than 6 months need to pass and I would suggest a physician's report that states "the knee is asymptomatic and they are released to full and unrestricted activity"

Disqualifying would be limited motion, and from http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/613003p.pdf page 33 Bold is mine.

d. Leg, Knee, Thigh, and Hip
(1) Current loose or foreign body in the knee joint (717.6).
(2) History of uncorrected anterior (717.83) or posterior (717.84) cruciate ligament injury.
(3) History of surgical reconstruction of knee ligaments (P81.4) (CPT 27427-27429) DOES meet the standard if 12 months has elapsed since reconstruction, and the knee is asymptomatic and stable.
(4) Recurrent ACL reconstruction (CPT 27427, 27407).
(5) Symptomatic medial (717.82) or lateral (717.42) meniscal injury. The following DOES meet the standard if asymptomatic and released to full and unrestricted activity:
(a) Meniscal repair (CPT 27403), more than 6 months after surgery.
(b) Partial meniscectomy (CPT 27332-27333) more than 3 months after surgery.
(6) Meniscal transplant (CPT 29868). (7) Symptomatic medial (844.1) and lateral (844.0) collateral ligament instability.
 
Thank your for responding. I feel much better knowing that it is waiver-able. I'm going to organize all "knee documentation" in a binder. I'll let the doctor know now, that DS will need a letter once he's cleared. Hopefully, he'll bounce back stronger than ever and know to expect that he'll potentially need a waiver. Wanting to be a military officer is one tough goal for a kid to take on.
 
Thank you, 5Day! I am literally printing this out to take to the physical therapist & orthopedic surgeon. I want them to know, up front, what he's trying to do.
 
Laurantwins said:
Thank you, 5Day! I am literally printing this out to take to the physical therapist & orthopedic surgeon. I want them to know, up front, what he's trying to do.
Click to expand...

This is important. Try to find a ortho/surgeon who has a military background. He/she will know better how to document your son's file with the correct verbiage that correctly defines his condition without exaggeration of his injury.
 
And take a look at the standard (linked above) and print out the appropriate pages from there, not just my posted information.
 
Thank you both for giving me direction - I don't feel so helpless now! I will do it.
 
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