The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the left knee and instability of the left knee, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent or a separate compensable rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and other medical records provided no evidence indicating actual or functional loss of extension beyond 15 degrees from April 2, 1996 to July 6, 1998, which is the highest level of limitation considered for a 20 percent rating. The instability was also found not to warrant a separate compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- August 7, 2002
- Citation
- 0209373
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0209373.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's knee and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees, but remanded the issue of a low back disability for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and clarification regarding the severity of the Veteran's left knee and right knee disabilities, specifically to determine if the Veteran has experienced 'the functional equivalent of range of motion loss contemplated by the next higher rating' at any point during the appeal period.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left and right knees was dismissed as it was not timely filed.
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