The Veteran's left knee disability, including symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage and lateral instability, is rated at 10 percent. A separate rating for painful limited motion is also granted. The total left knee replacement remains at a 30 percent rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s symptoms do not warrant higher ratings as they are consistent with the current schedular criteria and there is no evidence of ankylosis, impairment of the tibia and fibula, or malunion or nonunion. The Veteran's pain and instability are addressed under separate diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Symptomatic Removal of Semilunar Cartilage, Lateral Instability of Left Knee, Painful Limited Motion of Left Knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20079045
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 20079045.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted separate disability ratings of 20 percent for right knee limited extension and instability, but denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the right knee injury with arthritic changes. For the left knee, it granted a separate disability rating of 10 percent for instability but denied increased ratings.
- Granted
The Veteran's right and left knees, both post anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, are rated at 30 percent each since June 22, 2018. A separate 10 percent rating is granted for the symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage in the left knee.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and his lateral instability of the left knee is also rated at 10 percent. The right knee disability prior to August 8, 2012 (prior to meniscal repair surgery) is rated at 10 percent. Since October 1, 2012, the Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 20 percent for lateral instability.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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