The Veteran's DJD of the left knee has been rated at 20 percent, but his condition does not warrant a higher rating as there is no evidence of ankylosis, dislocated or removed cartilage, tibia or fibular impairment, genu recurvatum, or instability. The pain and functional loss do not meet criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left knee flexion has been limited to at most 62 degrees, which does not warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5260. No other diagnostic codes are applicable as the Veteran does not have ankylosis, dislocated or removed cartilage, tibia or fibular impairment, genu recurvatum, or instability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19190991
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 19190991.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected DJD of the left knee and left knee lateral instability, from December 15, 2009, to September 5, 2014.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain a new VA medical opinion regarding the severity of the left knee DJD without the ameliorative effects of medication during the limited appeal period.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for DJD and instability of both knees but granted separate 20 percent ratings for dislocated semilunar cartilage in the left and right knees.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his lumbosacral spine disability and TDIU prior to April 25, 2017 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.
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