The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected low back condition, bilateral knee conditions, and ankle disabilities have been denied. The VA examiners found that the Veteran's range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's range of motion was sufficient to avoid meeting the criteria for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine, as his combined range of motion did not exceed 120 degrees and he did not have additional functional loss due to pain or other factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Mild degenerative disease of the lumbar spine, Right knee osteoarthritis, Left knee osteoarthritis, Residuals of a right ankle fracture, status post-internal fixation right lateral malleolar, Tendonitis of the left ankle, status post-fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 2, 2010
- Citation
- 1012472
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 1012472.
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 denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied increased ratings for left shoulder, right knee, and left knee replacement conditions. However, the Board granted a 10 percent rating for the left knee scar and a 30 percent rating for the lumbar spine degenerative joint disease.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for plantar fasciitis on the right and left foot, left and right ankle strain, left and right knee osteoarthritis, and left and right hip strain, all secondary to service-connected back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities with weight gain/obesity as an intermediate step.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left and right knee osteoarthritis, and a TDIU prior to January 7, 2019.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a dermatological disability, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis, as well as a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder with major depression from July 5, 2022.
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