The veteran's left knee disability, including a lateral meniscus tear with medial meniscectomies, lateral retinacula release, resection of plica and realignment of the patella, is currently rated at 20 percent. The VA has granted this rating.
The deciding factor: The veteran's left knee disability meets the criteria for a 20 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5261 (limitation of flexion to 140 degrees) and Diagnostic Code 5257 (severe recurrent subluxation or lateral instability).
- Claimed conditions
- lateral meniscus tear, medial meniscectomies, lateral retinacula release, resection of plica, realignment of the patella
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 6, 2003
- Citation
- 0308566
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,242 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0308566.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's periods of active duty service, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The Veteran is also required to undergo an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his left knee conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation, including service connection for sleep apnea and increased ratings for his right knee disabilities. The right knee disability prior to November 21, 2019, does not warrant an increase in rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's left knee strain is related to his service-connected right knee issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected chondromalacia patella and lateral meniscus tears of the right and left knees are granted with a rating of 20 percent effective January 1, 1998.
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