The veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spondylosis, right knee conditions, and left knee degenerative changes were denied as the evidence did not support higher evaluations.
The deciding factor: The clinical findings showed that the veteran's conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar spondylosis, Osteoarthritis of the right knee, Chondromalacia patellae of the right knee, Degenerative changes of the left knee, Post operative residuals of a left knee injury with instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0904643
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 20 percent rating for lumbar spondylosis and service connection for tinnitus, while denying increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral plantar fasciitis, and denying service connections for other conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for higher initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the right and left knees, and left ankle strain are remanded due to inadequate VA compensation examination reports.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate effective September 30, 2003.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to address the inadequacies of previous examinations and obtain any relevant private treatment records.
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