Va Rating Ankle Instability

Arthritis degenerative hypertrophic or osteoarthritis.

Va rating ankle instability. Thus a single injury to the Ankle can cause multiple issues. Ankle instability is usually rated under 38 CFR 471 Schedule of Ratings Musculoskeletal System Diagnostic Code DC 5271. Because of this complexity the VA simplified the rating system for musculoskeletal conditions to focus on the resulting disability from a condition or group of conditions existing in the same body part. Under DC 5271 ankle instability is rated according to limited motion of the ankle.

20 marked limitation of motion. Under this code arthritis in the ankle is rated according to limited motion of the ankle. After leaving the military that same ankle became arthritic. The maximum is 20 percent unless there is unfavorable ankylosis which means that the ankle is essentially frozen in an unfavorable position.

The Department of Veterans Affairs says of this condition that when established via X-rays the VA disability rating will be made on the basis of limitation of motion under the appropriate diagnostic codes for the specific joint or joints involved. A right ankle injury and a left knee injury change the calculation of your rating. 00 15-377 DATE On appeal from the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Waco Texas THE ISSUES 1. The VA knows that one leg is going to work harder to compensate for another so they adjust the ratings in your favor if both legs have a disability.

Ankles dont rate out very high. The Veteran has a diagnosis of low back pain with X-ray evidence of mild. Listing those as separate disabilities meant that the veteran went from 10 to 30 on one knee. SUPERSEDES VA FORM 21-0960M-2 OCT 2012 Page 1 WHICH WILL NOT BE USED.

In plantar flexion at more than 40 or in dorsiflexion at more than 10 or with abduction adduction inversion or eversion deformity. For Reservists the condition must have occurred in or resulted from an injury in the Line of Duty to qualify. The veteran applied for a disability claim for the ankle and was awarded a rating due to direct service-connection to his military service. Instability is rated under Diagnostic Code 5257.

Flexion limitation of range and motion and pain. Entitlement to assignment of a higher evaluation for service-connected osteoarthritis of the right ankle secondary to a right ankle sprain currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. For Reservists the condition must have occurred in or resulted from an injury in the Line of Duty to qualify. That diagnostic code refers to recurrent subluxation or lateral instability and ratings are available for severe 30 percent moderate 20 percent and slight 10 percent.

I suppose that the reason for this is that an unstable ankle can either be fused to remove any motion or it can be put in a brace that prevents motion. This process is how most disabilities claims are submitted to the VA. If you believe you were given a low VA disability rating for flare-ups because your VA examiner did not take them into account when performing your CP exam you have the right to appeal. In many cases ankle instability itself would receive a rating of between 0 and 20 on the rating schedule.

Just had a re-evaluation on my sc knee condition and I felt it went fairly smooth compared to the initial CP for service connection. The normal range for the ankle is between 45 to 0 degrees for plantar flexion when the top of your foot points away from your leg and between 20 to 0 degrees for dorsiflexion moving your foot up toward the shin. Ankylosis of ankle subtalar or tarsal joint Ankle joint replacement. Subluxation means dislocation of the patella or knee cap.

The rating criteria is as follows. Rating 5270 Ankle ankylosis of. In some cases VA may assign a rating for arthritis in the ankle under Diagnostic Code 5271. This is called a bilateral factor and in VA Math you can get a higher rating if you have disabilities on each leg.

The rating criteria are as follows. Knee and Lower Leg Overview. The Musculoskeletal System is vast and complex consisting of muscles tendons ligaments joints and bones. If you have been prescribedwear braces by the VA Ortho doc for your knees does that warrant a seperate rating for instability purposes.

How the VA Rates Ankle Injuries To determine the rating for your ankle injury the VA will focus on two factors. FINDINGS OF FACT 1. Therefore the VA should increase the Veterans disability rating based on the impact flare ups could have on a Veterans day-to-day life. 10 moderate limitation of motion.

Separating ratings into separate joints can also help you get closer to the bilateral factor which will add on another 10 rating. The VA might note the presence of other conditions and award the veteran an even higher VA disability rating. The VA awards disability compensation for each Knee and Lower Leg condition that is service-connectedThe DoD will also rate service-connected conditions as long as they also make the service member Unfit fo r Duty. September 6 2018 ORDER Service connection for a low back disability claimed as secondary to a service connected left ankle disability is granted.

20 marked limitation of motion. A knee instability VA rating can be related to arthritis but doesnt have to be. However the ankle instability may occur in conjunction with other issues such as knee pain and leg pain. 21-0960M-2 MAY 2013.