The Veteran's right knee and left knee disabilities, as well as his lumbar spine disability, have been granted increased ratings based on their manifestations of pain, joint locking, and functional impairment.
The deciding factor: The evidence demonstrated frequent episodes of joint 'locking,' pain, and effusion in the knees, and persistent symptoms such as muscle spasm and abnormal gait in the back, warranting a 20 percent disability rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Meniscus Tear, Left Knee Post-Surgical Residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21062551
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 21062551.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The right knee conditions, including meniscus tear and instability, are not rated higher than the current assigned disability ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee degenerative joint disease and entitlement to a compensable rating for right knee meniscus tear due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his right shoulder dislocation post avulsion fracture associated with right knee meniscus and ACL tear repair prior to August 31, 2023 is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for his right shoulder dislocation post avulsion fracture associated with right knee meniscus and ACL tear repair from August 31, 2023 onward is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right knee disability is rated based on flexion impairment and instability. The appeal for increased ratings remains pending.,Service connection claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, residuals of prostate cancer, and hypertension are remanded due to new evidence.
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