The Veteran's left knee disability, including a torn ACL and dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and swelling, has been rated at 20 percent since April 19, 2017. A temporary total disability rating based on convalescence for two months following surgery was granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left knee disability met the criteria for a 20% rating under Diagnostic Code 5258 due to dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and swelling. The temporary total disability rating based on convalescence following surgery was granted as the Veteran needed at least two months of convalescence post-surgery.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Strain, Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- June 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19148197
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 19148197.
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 right and left knee strains, as well as shin splints, were granted increased ratings. The Veteran also received special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from October 25, 2017 to March 11, 2024.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's right knee disability rating from 10% to 30%, effective July 1, 2025, finding that the reduction was improper and constituted a de facto severance of service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied. The claims for tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), obstructive sleep apnea, and left knee strain are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Granted
The reduction of the rating for service-connected left knee strain from 30 percent to 10 percent was not proper, and restoration of the 30 percent rating is granted.
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