The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracolumbar spine strain and right knee retropatellar pain syndrome were denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition.
The deciding factor: The current evaluations are found to be appropriate based on the findings from the most recent VA examination in early 2008, which did not indicate any worsening of symptoms or need for additional treatment such as injections. The Veteran's assertions of worsening and need for additional treatment do not outweigh the objective medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Strain of the thoracolumbar spine, Retropatellar pain syndrome of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2011
- Citation
- 1116876
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 1116876.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted for the period beginning May 1, 2020, as he has a combined disability rating of 100% due to service-connected disabilities and was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of all pending claims.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to February 10, 2020, and in excess of 40 percent from February 10, 2020 for a low back disability.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the period prior to February 10, 2020 for GERD.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for the period from February 10, 2020 for IBS and GERD.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for retropatellar pain syndrome of the right knee.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for retropatellar pain syndrome of the left knee.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a compensable disability rating prior to February 10, 2020, and a rating in excess of 10 percent from February 10, 2020 for a left ankle disability.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a compensable disability rating prior to February 10, 2020, and a rating in excess of 10 percent from February 10, 2020 for a left wrist ganglion.,The Veteran's petition to reopen service connection for right shoulder disability based on new and material evidence has been dismissed.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and adjustment disorder.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding service connection for a neck disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's PTSD, lumbosacral strain, left and right knee conditions, as well as her hip bursitis are all rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations. The Board has found that these ratings adequately reflect the severity of the Veteran’s disabilities. However, additional evidence suggests a worsening of these conditions since the last examinations in August 2014. Therefore, the claims must be remanded for new evaluations and consideration.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraine headaches and right knee disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for migraines prior to May 13, 2009 or a rating in excess of 30 percent thereafter. For his right knee condition, the evidence showed arthritis without significant limitation of motion or instability.
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