The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's knee and back disabilities, finding that the current 10 percent ratings were appropriate given the evidence of record.
The deciding factor: The disability picture did not warrant a higher rating based on pain or functional impairment due to limited motion in the knees. For the lumbar spine, the Board considered both old and new criteria but found no basis for an increased rating.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, left knee retropatellar pain syndrome, right knee retropatellar pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2008
- Citation
- 0814160
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for right knee retropatellar pain syndrome from August 23, 2010, and denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a right ankle disability.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for separate awards of service connection for left knee instability and right knee instability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request to revise the July 2006 rating decision that continued a noncompensable evaluation for bilateral knee retropatellar pain syndrome, finding no clear and unmistakable error.
- Granted
The Board granted disability ratings of 40 percent for right shoulder impingement syndrome, 30 percent for left shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear, and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, 30 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and 30 percent for right knee patellar chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis, but not higher.
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