The Veteran's left knee arthrotomy has not manifested by locking, ankylosis, recurrent subluxation, lateral instability, impairment of the tibia and fibula or genu recurvatum; flexion of the left knee has been limited to 90 degrees and extension has always been to zero degrees.,The Veteran's right knee meniscectomy has not manifested by locking, ankylosis, recurrent subluxation, lateral instability, impairment of the tibia and fibula or genu recurvatum; flexion of the right knee has been limited to 50 degrees and extension has always been to zero degrees.,The Veteran's left ankle disability has not manifested by ankylosis, malunion of the os calcis or astragulus, astragalectomy or marked limitation of motion.,The Veteran's left thumb disability has never manifested by ankylosis or inability to oppose the thumb.,The Veteran's tinea versicolor does not affect the head, face or neck or involve scarring; it has manifested by hyperpigmented lesions that do not affect at least 20 percent of the entire body or exposed areas, and has never required systemic therapy.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show any additional limitation of motion beyond what is already contemplated in a 10% evaluation for left knee arthrotomy under Diagnostic Code 5260.,The evidence did not show any additional limitation of motion beyond what is already contemplated in a 10% evaluation for right knee meniscectomy under Diagnostic Codes 5260 and 5261.,The evidence did not show any ankylosis or other significant impairment that would warrant a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.,There was no indication of ankylosis, inability to oppose the thumb, or other compensable limitation of motion for the left thumb disability.,The Veteran's tinea versicolor does not meet the criteria for a 10% evaluation as it has not affected at least 20 percent of his entire body or exposed areas and has never required systemic therapy.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the Lumbar Spine, Left Knee Arthrotomy, Right Knee Meniscectomy, Left Ankle Disability, Left Thumb Disability, Tinea Versicolor
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2009
- Citation
- 0931371
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 0931371.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle and right shoulder disabilities due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The claims will be reviewed again with new medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for erectile dysfunction and voiding dysfunction have been denied due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to his in-service exposure.,The remaining service connection claims (for bilateral feet, ankles, hip, wrist, cervical spine, upper extremity radiculopathy, psychiatric disorder, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension) are remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for GAD is denied as his anxiety symptoms are subsumed under PTSD.,Service connection for Right Shoulder Strain and Left Ankle Disability is denied due to lack of current diagnosis or evidence of functional impairment.
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