The Veteran's right knee replacement is rated at 30% prior to December 5, 2016 and 60% thereafter. A separate 10% rating for right knee instability from July 27, 2011 to December 4, 2016 is granted. An initial rating higher than 10% for left knee ACL instability prior to December 5, 2016 and higher than 20% thereafter is denied. A rating higher than 10% for limitation of flexion associated with left knee arthritis prior to June 3, 2013 is denied. A 30% rating for left knee limitation of flexion from June 3, 2013 to December 4, 2016 is granted. A rating higher than 30% for left knee limitation of extension from June 3, 2013 and higher than 50% from December 5, 2016 is denied. Entitlement to a TDIU from January 1, 2014 is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right knee replacement disability has been rated based on the criteria for knee replacements (DC 5055), with a maximum rating of 60% due to the amputation rule. The left knee arthritis and instability have been rated under DCs 5257, 5260, and 5261.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Total Knee Replacement, Left Knee Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- January 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19104706
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,341 · Granted: 33% (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 19104706.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his right knee disability is remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and consideration of medication effects.
- 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 right knee disability was granted an increased rating to 60% effective June 1, 2018. Attorney fees are eligible based on past-due benefits awarded in the December 2019 rating decision.
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