WingmanOpen the free toolsWingmanOpen the free toolsIf the VA already service-connected your knee condition (also called knee pain, knee strain, meniscus tear, chondromalacia), it can cause or worsen other conditions that are ratable on their own. These "secondary" claims are where many veterans leave money on the table. Below is what a service-connected knee condition commonly leads to, why, and what evidence each one takes.
A secondary claim only works if the primary condition (knee condition) is already service-connected, and you have a nexus — a doctor's opinion that it is "at least as likely as not" the cause. More on nexus letters →
Favoring an injured knee shifts load to the other knee for years, accelerating wear on the 'good' knee. The VA recognizes contralateral joint conditions from overcompensation.
What you'd need: Imaging/exam showing the opposite knee condition and a nexus opinion attributing it to years of altered gait/overcompensation for the service-connected knee.
A bad knee changes how you walk, overloading the hip on one or both sides and accelerating hip degeneration.
What you'd need: Imaging/exam of the hip plus a nexus opinion linking it to the altered gait caused by the service-connected knee.
Limping and uneven weight-bearing from a knee injury place abnormal stress on the lumbar spine over time.
What you'd need: Imaging/exam of the back and a nexus opinion tying it to the gait changes from the knee disability.