YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Knee, Other Impairment of (Knee Instability) VA Disability Rating
The VA rates Knee, Other Impairment of under diagnostic code 5257, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 30%, 20% and 10%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Knee, Other Impairment of
This diagnostic code covers knee instability — the knee buckling, giving out, or shifting out of place — separately from pain or arthritis. Since the 2021 rewrite it rates two named things: recurrent subluxation or instability after a ligament sprain or tear, and instability of the kneecap (the patellofemoral complex) after surgical repair. The tier you land on depends less on how bad the instability feels than on what a medical provider has prescribed for it — a brace, a walking aid, both, or neither.
The evaluation is built on three facts, all of which have to be in the medical record. First, persistent instability has to be established — a sprain, an incomplete ligament tear, or a complete tear that was repaired, unrepaired, or whose repair failed; or, on the patellar route, a diagnosed condition of the patellofemoral complex with recurrent instability. Second, whether a complete tear was repaired and whether that repair held, because an unrepaired or failed repair reaches a tier higher on the same prescription. Third, and decisively, what a medical provider has prescribed for ambulation: nothing (10 percent), one of bracing or an assistive device (20 percent), or both a brace and an assistive device (30 percent). Note (2) to the code adds that a surgical procedure which does not repair a patellofemoral component contributing to the instability — arthroscopy to remove loose bodies, or joint aspiration, for example — does not count as surgical repair for the patellar-instability route.
- Diagnostic code
- 5257
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 30%, 20% and 10%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
Which level applies is set by the criteria the evidence meets, not by the diagnosis. Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations applies, 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher one if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating.
This code prints no 0% row. Under 38 CFR § 4.31, a 0% evaluation is assigned where the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Knee, Other Impairment of VA rating criteria (DC 5257)
Choose a percentage to see what that level means. Open the full comparison to read all the criteria in one place.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
Every knee code on one page, each one's criteria quotedIN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Knee, Other Impairment of
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note (1): For patellar instability, the patellofemoral complex consists of the quadriceps tendon, the patella, and the patellar tendon.”DC 5257
- “Note (2): A surgical procedure that does not involve repair of one or more patellofemoral components that contribute to the underlying instability shall not qualify as surgical repair for patellar instability (including, but not limited to, arthroscopy to remove loose bodies and joint aspiration).”DC 5257
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Knee, Other Impairment of claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Knee, Other Impairment of?
VA's page says: “You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers.”
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
THE EVERYDAY PICTURE
What the Knee, Other Impairment of examination has to record
The criteria above are read off an examination, and three sections of Part 4 govern what that examination has to contain. None of them is a diagnostic code, so none of them appears in the 5257 table, and all three apply to it. 38 CFR § 4.40: “Weakness is as important as limitation of motion, and a part which becomes painful on use must be regarded as seriously disabled.”
38 CFR § 4.45 lists what an examination of a joint is directed to consider:
- Less movement than normal (due to ankylosis, limitation or blocking, adhesions, tendon-tie-up, contracted scars, etc.).
- More movement than normal (from flail joint, resections, nonunion of fracture, relaxation of ligaments, etc.).
- Weakened movement (due to muscle injury, disease or injury of peripheral nerves, divided or lengthened tendons, etc.).
- Excess fatigability.
- Incoordination, impaired ability to execute skilled movements smoothly.
- Pain on movement, swelling, deformity or atrophy of disuse.
38 CFR § 4.59: “It is the intention to recognize actually painful, unstable, or malaligned joints, due to healed injury, as entitled to at least the minimum compensable rating for the joint.” So a joint that is painful on use is not a finding of nothing, even where the measured motion is close to normal.
The same section says how the joint is to be tested: “The joints involved should be tested for pain on both active and passive motion, in weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing and, if possible, with the range of the opposite undamaged joint.” An examination that records one measurement, taken once, sitting down, has not done what the section asks, and that is worth reading the exam report for.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Knee, Other Impairment of claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim3 tips
- 01
Ask your provider to write the brace or assistive device as a prescription and to state that it is for ambulation, because that phrasing is what the criteria are keyed to.
- 02
Make sure the record says whether the ligament tear is complete or incomplete and whether any repair failed, since an unrepaired or failed repair reaches 20 or 30 percent on a prescription that would otherwise support less.
- 03
Keep the instability claim separate from a limitation-of-motion or arthritis claim on the same knee — they are different codes, and instability is what this one rates.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
An exam that records instability but says nothing about prescribed bracing or assistive devices, which leaves the examiner no basis to place the case above 10 percent.
- 02
Bringing a brace you bought yourself and assuming it counts — the criteria turn on a prescription by a medical provider, not on device use.
- 03
Describing the knee as painful rather than unstable; pain and limitation of motion are rated under other codes (5003, 5260, 5261), and this code rates instability.
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Filing on the old "slight / moderate / severe" language, which the February 2021 rewrite removed — those words no longer appear anywhere in DC 5257 and there is nothing for an adjudicator to grade against them.
- 02
Not establishing whether the ligament tear was complete, and whether it was repaired, since the same prescription pays a different percentage depending on that answer.
- 03
Treating an arthroscopy that removed loose bodies or aspirated the joint as the "surgical repair" the patellar-instability criteria require — Note (2) expressly says it is not.
When symptoms may first appear2 tips
- 01
Knee instability under this code most often follows a ligament tear (such as the ACL or MCL) or a meniscus injury that wasn't fully repaired or that healed with residual laxity.
- 02
Instability can worsen over time with continued activity, since a joint that isn't fully stable tends to compensate poorly and place more stress on surrounding structures.
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Knee, Other Impairment of
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THE BROADER PICTURE
Knee, Other Impairment of by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- High – especially when tied to prior knee injuries or arthritis.
- Service-connected disabilities (VBA count)
- 556,186 disabilities
- Typical rating awarded
- ~20%
Count of service-connected disabilities from the VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), as of September 30, 2025; the report counts disabilities, not veterans. Approval outlook and typical rating are Vetrify editorial estimates, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Knee, Other Impairment of
Is Knee Instability a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Knee, Other Impairment of under VASRD diagnostic code 5257 (Musculoskeletal System). This diagnostic code covers knee instability — the knee buckling, giving out, or shifting out of place — separately from pain or arthritis. Since the 2021 rewrite it rates two named things: recurrent subluxation or instability after a ligament sprain or tear, and instability of the kneecap (the patellofemoral complex) after surgical repair. The tier you land on depends less on how bad the instability feels than on what a medical provider has prescribed for it — a brace, a walking aid, both, or neither.
What VA disability rating can I get for Knee Instability?
Possible VA ratings for Knee, Other Impairment of are 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 30%: Recurrent subluxation or instability: unrepaired or failed repair of a complete ligament tear causing persistent instability, and a medical provider prescribes BOTH an assistive device (e.g. cane(s), crutch(es), walker) and bracing for ambulation. Patellar instability: a diagnosed condition involving the patellofemoral complex with recurrent instability after surgical repair that requires a prescription by a medical provider for a brace AND either a cane or a walker; 20%: Recurrent subluxation or instability, either: (a) sprain, incomplete ligament tear, or repaired complete ligament tear causing persistent instability, and a medical provider prescribes a brace and/or an assistive device (e.g. cane(s), crutch(es), walker) for ambulation; or (b) unrepaired or failed repair of a complete ligament tear causing persistent instability, and a medical provider prescribes either an assistive device or bracing for ambulation. Patellar instability: a diagnosed condition involving the patellofemoral complex with recurrent instability after surgical repair that requires a prescription by a medical provider for one of the following — a brace, cane, or walker; 10%: Recurrent subluxation or instability: sprain, incomplete ligament tear, or complete ligament tear (repaired, unrepaired, or failed repair) causing persistent instability, WITHOUT a prescription from a medical provider for an assistive device or bracing for ambulation. Patellar instability: a diagnosed condition involving the patellofemoral complex with recurrent instability (with or without a history of surgical repair) that does not require a prescription from a medical provider for a brace, cane, or walker.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Knee Instability?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Knee, Other Impairment of at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. Per the VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), veterans receiving VA compensation as of September 30, 2025 had 556,186 service-connected disabilities rated as Knee, Other Impairment of. The report counts disabilities, not veterans. Estimated approval outlook: High – especially when tied to prior knee injuries or arthritis.
What evidence helps prove Knee Instability for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Knee, Other Impairment of claim includes: The prescription itself — the note or order from a medical provider prescribing a brace, cane, crutches, or a walker for walking. Since 2021 this is the single fact that separates the three tiers, and buying a brace over the counter is not the same thing; An orthopedic evaluation documenting persistent instability with stability testing (Lachman, anterior drawer, pivot shift), and stating whether a ligament tear is complete or incomplete; Operative reports where a ligament or the patellofemoral complex was repaired, plus follow-up notes on whether the repair held — a failed repair rates higher than a successful one on the same prescription.
Which DBQ is used for Knee Instability?
VA's Knee and Lower Leg Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Knee Instability?
Common pitfalls when filing for Knee, Other Impairment of: Filing on the old "slight / moderate / severe" language, which the February 2021 rewrite removed — those words no longer appear anywhere in DC 5257 and there is nothing for an adjudicator to grade against them; Not establishing whether the ligament tear was complete, and whether it was repaired, since the same prescription pays a different percentage depending on that answer; Treating an arthroscopy that removed loose bodies or aspirated the joint as the "surgical repair" the patellar-instability criteria require — Note (2) expressly says it is not.
What conditions can be secondary to Knee Instability?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Knee, Other Impairment of, when a medical opinion links them, include: Meniscus Tear. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5257)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.40, functional loss
- 38 CFR § 4.45, the joints
- 38 CFR § 4.59, painful motion
- VBA Annual Benefits Report (FY2025), service-connected disabilities count, as of September 30, 2025
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
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