The Board granted earlier effective dates of February 13, 2004, for the 30 percent ratings assigned to the veteran's service-connected chronic patellar tendonitis with chondromalacia in each knee and denied an earlier effective date of April 5, 2002, for the award of service connection for hypertensive heart disease.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the February 13, 2004, claims for increased ratings established entitlement to the higher ratings as of that date, but that there was no evidence of cardiac hypertrophy prior to April 5, 2002, which would warrant an earlier effective date for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic patellar tendonitis with chondromalacia of the right knee, chronic patellar tendonitis with chondromalacia of the left knee, hypertensive heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2008
- Citation
- 0810149
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · Granted: 24% (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 0810149.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and other conditions, rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to July 21, 2025.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive heart disease as secondary to his service-connected hypertension.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's attorney has withdrawn the appeal for service connection for hypertensive heart disease and diabetes mellitus type II.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertensive heart disease, chest condition, left arm condition, right arm condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder are all granted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.