The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations consistently showed arthritis without significant limitation of motion or instability, which does not meet the criteria for higher ratings under relevant diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- retropatellar pain syndrome with osteoarthritic changes, arthritis of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 21, 2006
- Citation
- 0604900
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for arthritis of the left knee and right knee to ensure compliance with a Joint Motion for Partial Remand from the Court.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including residuals of a head injury, bilateral hearing loss, neck disability, gout of the right ankle, unspecified trauma or stress related disorder, tinnitus, and other musculoskeletal issues.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all pending appeals, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these issues.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea syndromes, arthritis of the left knee as secondary to degenerative changes in the bilateral ankles, and arthritis of the right knee as secondary to degenerative changes in the bilateral ankles. The claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were denied.
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