The veteran's service-connected right knee disability, characterized by severe posttraumatic tricompartmental degenerative arthritis and moderate instability, warrants a separate 20 percent rating for instability. The left knee disability, with arthralgia but no instability or limitation of motion beyond what is already reflected in the current 10 percent rating, does not warrant an increased rating.
The deciding factor: The veteran's right knee has been rated based on both its arthritis and instability, resulting in a combined 30 percent disability rating. The left knee disability, while painful, does not meet the criteria for additional ratings under any applicable diagnostic codes due to lack of limitation of motion or instability.
- Claimed conditions
- Postoperative Residuals of Right Knee Medial Meniscectomy, Residuals of Injury to Left Knee, Arthralgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- May 8, 2003
- Citation
- 0308764
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,500 · Granted: 17% (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 0308764.
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
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