The veteran's left knee impairment, including instability, is more often closer to severe than moderate; he always wears a hinged brace, walks with a cane and has to back down steps, limps. The veteran's left knee has severe degenerative changes representing virtually 'bone on bone'; he is a candidate for a total knee replacement but this is precluded by other health concerns.
The deciding factor: The severity of the veteran's left knee condition, including instability, pain, and significant degenerative changes, justifies an increased rating to 30 percent under DC 5257. The right knee conditions do not warrant higher ratings based on current evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of meniscectomy, left knee, Degenerative joint disease, left knee, Residuals of fractured right patella with laxity, Degenerative joint disease, right knee, Scar, left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- April 10, 2008
- Citation
- 0811894
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,643 · Granted: 15% (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 0811894.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 dismissed the appeals for increased rating and service connection for hyperlipidemia. The appeal for service connection of erectile dysfunction is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the restoration of a 20 percent rating for cervical strain from October 1, 2024, and denied compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss, scars on both knees, upper extremity radiculopathies, and service connection for wrist disorders.
- Granted
The Board granted increased 20 percent disability ratings for the back, right knee, and left knee disabilities but denied a higher rating for bilateral pes planus and a compensable rating for the right anterior knee scar.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left and right knees, finding no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation and noting that the conditions began more than 10 years after service.
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