YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) under diagnostic code 5055, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 100%, 60% and 30%.
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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 Replacement (Prosthesis)
This code covers a total knee replacement and knee resurfacing. It carries a 100 percent evaluation for 4 months following implantation of the prosthesis or resurfacing; after that the evaluation turns on how the knee actually functions.
Diagnostic code 5055 covers knee resurfacing and prosthetic knee replacement. A 100 percent evaluation is assigned for 4 months following implantation of prosthesis or resurfacing. After that period, prosthetic replacement of the knee joint with chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness in the affected extremity is evaluated at 60 percent, and the minimum evaluation, total replacement only, is 30 percent. The schedule directs that intermediate degrees of residual weakness, pain or limitation of motion be rated by analogy to diagnostic codes 5256, 5261, or 5262 rather than at an intermediate percentage under this code, and its note adds that at the conclusion of the 100 percent evaluation period resurfacing is evaluated under diagnostic codes 5256 through 5262, with no minimum evaluation for resurfacing.
- Diagnostic code
- 5055
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 100%, 60% and 30%
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 Replacement (Prosthesis) VA rating criteria (DC 5055)
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 Replacement (Prosthesis)
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: At the conclusion of the 100 percent evaluation period, evaluate resurfacing under diagnostic codes 5256 through 5262; there is no minimum evaluation for resurfacing.”DC 5055
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) 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 Replacement (Prosthesis)?
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 Replacement (Prosthesis) 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 5055 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 Replacement (Prosthesis) 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
Document your knee at and after the 4-month mark, since the 100 percent evaluation runs for 4 months following implantation or resurfacing and the evaluation from that point on depends on the residuals recorded then.
- 02
Provide surgeon follow-up evaluations from well after the initial recovery period, since these are what determine your long-term evaluation rather than how you felt right after surgery.
- 03
If your knee was resurfaced rather than totally replaced, say so: the 30 percent minimum under this code is for total replacement only, and the schedule evaluates resurfacing under diagnostic codes 5256 through 5262 once the 100 percent period ends.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Failure to describe current symptoms at a post-recovery exam, since the long-term evaluation depends on documenting your actual state after the 4-month period has passed.
- 02
Assuming the 100 percent evaluation continues past the 4 months following implantation of prosthesis or resurfacing, which is a common misunderstanding of how this code works.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Filing for the follow-up evaluation without showing functional loss, since a knee replacement with no lasting symptoms rates significantly lower than one with ongoing severe painful motion or weakness.
- 02
No record of ongoing issues after the 4-month period, leaving the reduced evaluation undocumented when it is reassessed.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Knee replacement surgery is usually performed after years of arthritis or a significant knee injury made the joint no longer manageable through other treatment.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Very High when post-surgery disability shown.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~5,600 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~30%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Knee Replacement (Prosthesis)
Is Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) under VASRD diagnostic code 5055 (Musculoskeletal System). This code covers a total knee replacement and knee resurfacing. It carries a 100 percent evaluation for 4 months following implantation of the prosthesis or resurfacing; after that the evaluation turns on how the knee actually functions.
What VA disability rating can I get for Knee Replacement (Prosthesis)?
Possible VA ratings for Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) are 100%, 60%, 30%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 100%: For 4 months following implantation of prosthesis or resurfacing; 60%: Prosthetic replacement of knee joint: with chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness in the affected extremity; 30%: Prosthetic replacement of knee joint: minimum evaluation, total replacement only.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Knee Replacement (Prosthesis)?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) at around 30%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 5,600 veterans are service-connected for Knee Replacement (Prosthesis). Estimated approval outlook: Very High when post-surgery disability shown.
What evidence helps prove Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Knee Replacement (Prosthesis) claim includes: Your surgical operative report establishing the replacement or resurfacing date, which starts the 4-month 100 percent period; Physical therapy progress notes tracking your recovery and any lasting limitations.
Which DBQ is used for Knee Replacement (Prosthesis)?
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 Replacement (Prosthesis)?
Common pitfalls when filing for Knee Replacement (Prosthesis): Filing for the follow-up evaluation without showing functional loss, since a knee replacement with no lasting symptoms rates significantly lower than one with ongoing severe painful motion or weakness; No record of ongoing issues after the 4-month period, leaving the reduced evaluation undocumented when it is reassessed.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5055)
- 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
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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