The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the left knee and left knee instability prior to February 18, 2015, as well as her total left knee replacement since April 1, 2016, are denied. The evidence does not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms of osteoarthritis and instability have been rated based on the severity of their functional impairment without additional consideration of specific Diagnostic Codes for these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of the left knee, Left knee instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20068483
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome but granted a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability. The claim for service connection for a back disorder was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for left and right knee instability and limitation of flexion due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative disc disease (DDD) with degenerative arthritis and retrolisthesis from February 16, 2021. Other claims were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the left knee disability and instability, but granted a 100 percent rating from May 31, 2023, for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with bipolar I disorder.
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