The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left knee disability was granted, with a current evaluation of 20 percent. The RO also established service connection for a right knee disability secondary to the left knee disability and denied claims for service connection for a back disability and TDIU.
The deciding factor: The veteran's left knee disability is manifested by arthritis with limitation of motion, warranting a 30 percent rating based on Diagnostic Codes 5003, 5010, 5260, and 5261.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative changes of the left knee, degenerative osteoarthritis of the left knee, patellofemoral compression syndrome with associated chrondromalacia, atrophy of the left quadriceps mechanism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 6, 2004
- Citation
- 0411904
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 425 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0411904.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded all issues related to the veteran's ratings for various disabilities and TDIU. The Board could not consider certain evidence due to timing rules but will allow the AOJ to consider it.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient medical evidence and failure of the Veteran to respond to VA examination requests.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for updated VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, including ratings for chondromalacia patella of the right knee and degenerative changes/degenerative arthritis of the left/right knees. The TDIU issue is also remanded.
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