The veteran's appeal was granted for a left shoulder disability, left knee chondromalacia, and right knee chondromalacia with limitation of flexion. The rating board also assigned separate evaluations for the right knee chondromalacia due to limitation of extension from March 10, 2004. No new evidence was presented to reopen service connection claims.
The deciding factor: The veteran's disability ratings were increased based on the findings at the March 2004 VA examination and the functional loss associated with her pain.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Heel Pain (Achilles Tendonitis), Left Knee Chondromalacia, Left Shoulder Biceps Tendonitis, Right Heel Pain (Achilles Tendonitis), Right Knee Chondromalacia (Limitation of Extension), Right Knee Chondromalacia (Limitation of Flexion)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 2, 2006
- Citation
- 0630900
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,514 · Granted: 19% (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 0630900.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee conditions have been denied. The current evaluations for the right knee under DC 5260 are 10 percent, while those for the left knee under DCs 5260 and 5261 are noncompensable.
- Denied
The Veteran's pes planus, left knee lateral meniscus tear, right knee chondromalacia, and left knee chondromalacia were all denied increased ratings. The Veteran was already in receipt of the maximum schedular rating for his left knee lateral meniscus tear.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee chondromalacia status post plica surgery due to inadequate examination findings. The Veteran is also seeking an increased rating for his left knee instability, and he should be afforded another VA examination to correct this pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various orthopedic conditions, including right shoulder osteoarthritis with impingement syndrome, left knee and hip chondromalacia, left ankle tendonitis, major depressive disorder, bilateral stress fractures, and a residual fracture of the right middle finger have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for awards related to housebound status, Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35, and Total Disability Rating based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) have also been granted.
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