Below-knee amputation at a level that allows use of a prosthesis.
To support a 40% rating under diagnostic code 5165, evidence needs to show two things: that an amputation occurred below the knee, and that the residual limb is at a level that permits fitting and use of a prosthesis. Surgical or operative reports documenting the amputation and the level at which it was performed are central to this. VA examination findings describing the length and condition of the residual limb help establish that prosthetic fitting is possible.
Records from a prosthetist or rehabilitation specialist confirming that you have been fitted for or prescribed a prosthetic limb can directly support the prosthesis-permitting requirement. If you wear a prosthesis, documentation of that use reinforces the finding. Statements from you or those who know you describing how you use the prosthesis in daily activities or work can provide additional context about function, though the rating itself turns on the anatomical level of the amputation rather than on functional limitations beyond that.
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.
