The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability, characterized as arthritis with painful limitation of motion and tenderness but without current ligamentous instability, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating than the currently assigned 20 percent evaluation.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show objective findings of instability or deformity, which would warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5257. The veteran's symptoms were primarily pain and limitation of motion without significant functional loss due to flare-ups or other factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 14, 2006
- Citation
- 0638967
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (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 0638967.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, and it is not etiologically related to a service-connected condition. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a left knee disability is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's left total knee replacement with left knee arthritis and scar, status post left knee arthroscopy, are granted a disability rating of 60 percent effective February 28, 2025.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including persistent postural perceptual dizziness related to his right eye disorder, prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation despite his MBA degree and employment history. The Board granted the TDIU claim effective September 6, 2019.
- Granted
The Board has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's left knee arthritis, effective from when the appeal was filed.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.