The Veteran's left distal tibia and fibula fracture was rated at 20 percent from October 25, 2012 to November 27, 2016.,Since February 2, 2018, the Veteran has been rated at 30 percent for his left total knee arthroplasty. The Board found that a higher 60 percent rating is warranted based on severe painful motion or weakness in the affected extremity.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left knee had manifestations of severe painful motion and weakness, which supported a higher 60 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Left distal tibia and fibula fracture, Left total knee arthroplasty
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20076228
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 20076228.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal regarding the evaluation rating of his left total knee arthroplasty was dismissed due to a procedural defect in submitting both a Notice of Disagreement and a Supplemental Claim concurrently.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, specifically to obtain relevant VA treatment records stored in VistA Imaging that are not currently associated with the claims file.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of the 40 percent disability rating for the service-connected left total knee arthroplasty, which was improperly reduced to 30 percent disabling effective August 1, 2021. The Board denied a compensable rating for the service-connected scar status post left knee replacement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU related to his bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to procedural issues. The AOJ must issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) and review the issues on appeal.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.