The Veteran's left knee arthritis is rated at 20 percent, his post-operative right ankle fusion with leg length shortening at 30 percent, and he has a separate 10 percent evaluation for residual muscle injury of the right calf. The Veteran does not have an initial compensable evaluation for his right heel fasciitis.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left knee arthritis is rated under Diagnostic Code 5258 due to dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion into the joint. His post-operative right ankle fusion with leg length shortening is rated under Diagnostic Code 5262 for malunion of the tibia and fibula with marked knee or ankle disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Left Knee, Post-operative Right Ankle Fusion with Leg Length Shortening, Right Heel Fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 20, 2010
- Citation
- 1002870
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 1002870.
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 remands the claims for service connection and initial disability ratings for obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, and degenerative arthritis of the right knee to correct duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, as well as left ankle strain.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection and an initial compensable evaluation, finding that the evidence did not support a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss disability or sleep apnea related to service. The Veteran's hemorrhoids were found to be noncompensable.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found the records incomplete and remanded for several reasons, including obtaining updated private treatment records from the Veteran's ENT provider and scheduling a Sharp compliant examination for his left knee disability. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further action.
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