Surgical replacement of the ankle joint with an artificial implant.
For the 100% rating during the first year after implantation, medical records confirming the date of the ankle replacement surgery are the key evidence. Hospital discharge paperwork and operative reports establish when the prosthesis was implanted and when the post-hospital recovery period ended.
For the 40% rating based on chronic residuals, VA looks for evidence of severe painful motion or weakness persisting after that first year. Examination findings documenting significantly reduced or painful range of motion, muscle strength testing showing weakness, and imaging of the prosthetic joint all help support this level. Your own statements and statements from people who know you describing how pain or weakness limit walking, standing, or other daily activities are also relevant.
For ratings between 20% and 40%, evidence should show the degree of residual pain, weakness, or limited motion that places your disability between those levels. Detailed range-of-motion measurements from physical exams are particularly useful here, along with records showing how symptoms affect your ability to work or move through the day.
Conditions that are often caused or made worse by this one. If you have any of these, they may be claimable as secondary service connection.
