BVA decisions by condition
Knee instability: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a knee instability issue in 1,391 decisions. It granted the knee instability issue in 62.5% of them, above the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 31.6%, and remanded it in 12.9%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 66.4% were granted.
Decisions
1,391
2018–2026
Granted
62.5%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
66.4%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
12.9%
Denied: 31.6%
Knee instability outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 89 | 58.4% | 36.0% | 11.2% |
| 2020 | 204 | 62.3% | 39.2% | 6.9% |
| 2021 | 254 | 58.7% | 33.9% | 15.7% |
| 2022 | 206 | 67.5% | 26.7% | 14.1% |
| 2023 | 187 | 65.2% | 24.1% | 18.2% |
| 2024 | 204 | 67.6% | 27.0% | 10.3% |
| 2025 | 153 | 56.9% | 35.9% | 14.4% |
| 2026 | 64 | 64.1% | 28.1% | 10.9% |
Evidence in granted and denied knee instability decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the knee instability issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 102 | 75.0% | 65.7% | +9.3 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 228 | 71.3% | 65.4% | +5.9 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 86 | 71.6% | 66.1% | +5.5 pts |
| Lay statement | 1,225 | 66.9% | 62.6% | +4.3 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 387 | 66.7% | 66.3% | +0.4 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 53.0% of the decisions that granted knee instability.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 32.2% of grants and 16.4% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often knee instability was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 267 | 66.3% | 66.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 1,133 | 66.0% | 68.4% | −2.5 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied knee instability
Most common reasons in grants
- Criteria for 10 percent rating met28
- Moderate instability found7
- Warrants 10 percent rating under DC 52575
- Veteran's consistent reports of instability5
- Reduction void ab initio5
- Slight instability found5
- Meets criteria for 10 percent rating under DC 52574
- Moderate instability4
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim40
- Already at the maximum schedular rating13
- Criteria for rating in excess of 10 percent not met8
- Criteria for higher rating not met6
- No evidence of moderate or severe instability6
- Did not meet criteria for moderate or severe instability3
- Evidence did not support moderate or severe instability3
- Evidence does not support moderate or severe instability3
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent knee instability decisions
Granted
Granted 20% for instability with incomplete/partial tear; Requires prescription for cane and brace; Effective December 18, 2025
Veteran's testimony of instability and need for brace found credible.; March 2020 VA exam noted need for brace, though no objective instability found.; Rating aligns with Diagnostic Code 5257 for slight instability.
Veteran's testimony of knee giving out; Consistent with slight recurrent instability; Resolving reasonable doubt in Veteran's favor
Denied
Denied rating exceeding 10 percent.; Evidence persuasively against criteria for recurrent instability after repair.; Evidence persuasively against criteria for unrepaired instability requiring brace/device.
Instability corresponds to slight instability (1+); No anterior, posterior, or lateral instability noted; Medial instability measured at 0-5 millimeters
Reduction based on material improvement; No prescribed assistive device for ambulation; Sufficient range of motion for 10 percent rating
Rules that apply to knee instability claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your knee instability case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a knee instability issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2018–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.