Service Connection And VA Ratings For Knee Replacement

Several factors can contribute to the necessity of a partial or full knee replacement. To obtain a VA disability rating for a knee replacement, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the underlying causes of your knee pain, which ultimately resulted in the need for knee replacement surgery. This understanding will help establish the necessary service connection.

Here, you'll know how to establish a VA service connection for your knee replacement and get VA disability ratings for your knee condition.

Service Connection For VA Disability For Knee Replacement

Establishing a link between your knee condition and military service is important to get VA disability compensation for your knee replacement. This connection is vital for receiving the appropriate coverage.

There are three ways in which knee conditions may be associated with your service, leading to the need for knee replacement surgery.

Direct Service Connection

A direct service connection for a VA disability claim for knee replacement involves an event during military service directly causing the knee injury. For example, if a knee injury resulted from jumping off a platform.

To establish this direct connection, provide:

• A current medical diagnosis of the disability;
• Records detailing the event that caused the knee injury during military service;
• A medical nexus connecting the in-service event to the knee injury; and
• A current diagnosis to establish a link between the in-service event and the present condition (e.g., arthritis).

Secondary Service Connection

A secondary service connection refers to a situation where a service-connected condition has led to a current disability in your knee. You can present this condition in your VA disability claim for knee replacement.

Suppose your left hip was injured during the service, and you walk differently to compensate for the pain; it may create a problem for you, such as a knee condition. That knee condition is considered a secondary service-connected injury to your hip.

Aggravation

You may already have a knee condition, but a service-connected injury has exacerbated it. For instance, suppose you injure your foot during military service. As a result, the service-connected injury aggravates your pre-existing knee condition, causing it to worsen.

In some cases, the knee condition may have been mild initially, but due to the injury in the foot related to your service, it has progressed to a severe state.

VA Disability Ratings For Knee Conditions

The rating process for a VA disability claim for knee replacement can be somewhat perplexing, as veterans may be eligible for multiple ratings for the same knee based on the severity of their condition.

The ratings can vary depending on the specific movement or range of motion involved in the knee.

Limited Flexion Of The Knee

A knee replacement in a VA disability claim is commonly rated at 10 percent, with the highest possible rating being 30 percent. This VA rating falls under diagnostic code 5260.

Limited Extension Of The Knee

The motion in which the knee moves outward, away from the body, and cannot fully extend is assessed under diagnostic code 5261. The VA rating for this condition ranges from 0 to 50 percent, depending on the degree to which the knee can or cannot straighten.

Instability Of The Knee

Excessive side-to-side motion or frequent knee joint dislocation can indicate weakness in the affected knee.

Veterans receive disability ratings of 0, 10, 20, or 30 percent for a VA disability claim for knee replacement, depending on the degree of knee instability. A rating of 30 percent, the highest possible, requires regular knee dislocation. The VA diagnostic code for knee instability is 5257.