The veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for various service-connected conditions have been granted, with the right knee and left foot chondromalacia receiving separate 10 percent ratings. The veteran also received a compensable rating for heel spur syndrome, bilateral fasciitis. The thoracic spine condition remains at noncompensably disabling.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided sufficient evidence to support the granted disability ratings based on the severity of the veteran's symptoms and clinical findings.
- Claimed conditions
- chondromalacia of the right knee, chondromalacia of the left knee, hallux abduct valgus, left foot, heel spur syndrome, bilateral fasciitis, mild degenerative changes, C3-4, C5-6 thoracic spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 5, 2006
- Citation
- 0600249
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.
- Dismissed
The Board denied the veteran's appeals for service connection due to untimely filings.
- Dismissed
The Board's September 4, 2025 decision was vacated due to a failure to address clear and unmistakable error arguments, depriving the Veteran of due process.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left hip osteoarthritis and right hip osteoarthritis as secondary to the Veteran's now service-connected knee disabilities, but denied service connection for a variety of other conditions including bilateral ankle, shoulder, foot, mood disorder, tinnitus, hyperlipidemia, and knees.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral foot and ankle conditions to correct a duty to assist error, requiring medical opinions on their relationship to the Veteran's service.
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