The veteran's left knee condition was initially rated at 10 percent prior to February 21, 1997. Since April 1, 1997, the disability has been rated at 20 percent.,Prior to February 21, 1997, the veteran had no more than slight impairment of his left knee due to pain and degenerative changes without any evidence of instability or subluxation. Since April 1, 1997, he has experienced moderate functional impairment with pain, crepitus, instability, and limitation of flexion.
The deciding factor: The veteran's left knee condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5257 or 5260 prior to February 21, 1997, but since April 1, 1997, it met the criteria for a 20 percent disability rating.
- Claimed conditions
- status post anterior meniscectomy, degenerative joint disease of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2001
- Citation
- 0100522
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0100522.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied several claims for increased ratings and service connection, but granted service connection for prostate cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee and ankle disabilities due to incomplete VA examinations.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including various musculoskeletal conditions and mental health disorders.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for degenerative joint disease of the left knee from August 17, 2018 through August 11, 2020 and a 60 percent rating for status-post left total knee replacement from October 1, 2021, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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