Va Rating For Arthritis In Both Knees

Rheumatoid arthritis as an active condition may receive a 100 VA disability rating if you experience constitutional manifestations associated with active joint involvement and is totally incapacitating.

Va rating for arthritis in both knees. VA joint pain ratings are funny. If you can bend your knee all of the way to 90 youll get a lower rating. If the knee can move but is limited in its ability to bend or straighten it should be rated under diagnostic code 5260 and 5261. You can be rated up to 30 for certain knee conditions without having to meet the ROM criteria.

However both are still rated under the musculoskeletal system conditions. The VA has 3 ways to categorize this aspect when rating arthritis of the knee. Arthritis of which osteoarthritis is the most common type is the most frequent cause of disability among adults in the United States. This is a higher rate than among the civilian population and it is one of the leading causes of physical disability.

The VA uses the rules of the VASRD to rate knee and lower leg conditions based on pain limited motion damage to the bones diseases like arthritis etc. Much depends on the nature and severity of the condition. This is VAs way of maximizing the veterans benefits. Zero percent is considered a straight leg.

Have your doctor specifically use this language when heshe explains your limitations due to knee arthritis. Arthritis is one of the most common conditions affecting those who have served in the military. There is a section for arthritis and knee conditions. Under the schedule of ratings in the VA regulations arthritis may be rated under degenerative arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis OA is the most common form of arthritis and is defined by Mayo Clinic as a degenerative condition in which the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. In fact the Center for Disease Control CDC estimates the rate of arthritis in veterans to be 256 although other estimates have the rate as high as 35. Degenerative arthritis will be rated at 10 or 20 percent based upon the number of jointsjoint groups affected and the level of incapacitation. These will be combined not added to determine the rating for arthritis.

As long as veterans have arthritis that is confirmed through X-ray evidence VA should assign either a 10 or 20 percent disability rating based on the severity of the arthritis and whether it affects one or both of the veterans knees. Remember that instability of the knee is a rating that is often overlooked. Knee instability or crepitation creeking and clicking sounds coming from your joints can help you get a higher rating too. A knee instability VA rating can be related to arthritis but doesnt have to be.

Once this cartilage reaches a certain point symptoms such as pain stiffness loss of flexibility in the joint tenderness and swelling. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not assign a single disability rating for arthritis. In 2005 The National Arthritis Data Work Group estimated that 27 million US adults ages 18 or older had one or more type of clinical OA representing more than ten percent of the US adult population. Ive looked at it practically every day of my adult life.

Separating ratings into separate joints can also help you get closer to the bilateral factor which will add on another 10 rating. If you can show evidence of any kind of strenuous work put on your knee you can get closer to service-connected arthritis. The VA rating for knee pain depends on how far your knee can bend and not feel pain. VA requires that limitation of motion be confirmed by observations such as swelling muscle spasms or evidence of painful motion.

Much depends on the nature and severity of the condition. Therefore you can receive ratings for both limitation of flexion and limitation of extension for the same knee. Several rating criteria affect the total rating decision.