The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and medical records provided no evidence of any additional disability or symptomatology that would warrant a higher rating than what was currently assigned.
- Claimed conditions
- narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea, fracture of T12 with low back pain, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee, patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee, tendonitis of the right elbow
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2010
- Citation
- 1030864
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 1030864.
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.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's knee conditions, except for a 10% rating for left and right knee instability effective from October 1, 2008.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate disability rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's service-connected patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee with limitation of extension from October 1, 2008 to August 11, 2017, but denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent during that same period.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
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