The veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees were denied as a matter of law due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause.
The deciding factor: The veteran failed to report for a scheduled VA orthopedic examination, which was necessary for proper adjudication of his claims. As he did not provide adequate reasons for missing the appointment and had not provided authorization for release of additional medical documentation, the Board denied his claims as a matter of law under 38 C.F.R. § 3.655.
- Claimed conditions
- patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee, patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2003
- Citation
- 0302250
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 0302250.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's knee conditions, except for a 10% rating for left and right knee instability effective from October 1, 2008.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate disability rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's service-connected patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee with limitation of extension from October 1, 2008 to August 11, 2017, but denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent during that same period.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an addendum medical opinion addressing the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's range of motion during a specific period.
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