The Veteran's right knee disability, including a dislocated meniscus with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion, is rated at 20 percent effective July 24, 2020. A separate 10 percent rating for slight lateral instability of the right knee remains in effect.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's right meniscus was torn and had frequent episodes of joint locking and pain, which warranted a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5258 effective July 24, 2020. The lateral instability is rated separately.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee traumatic arthritis, dislocated right meniscus with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion, slight lateral instability of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20080814
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (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 20080814.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of increased ratings for right knee and left knee disabilities, as well as a rating for PTSD and major depressive disorder, due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided in this remand do not comply with the requirements set forth in previous remands. The Veteran's right knee conditions, including traumatic arthritis and instability, as well as his status post total right knee replacement, are being remanded for further evaluation.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are rated at a 10 percent rating, effective June 25, 2002. The claim for increased ratings was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date prior to April 9, 1996, for the award of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to insufficient evidence showing that the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability alone precluded him from securing and following any substantially gainful employment.
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