The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are rated at 10 percent each, and service connection for a low back disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected knee and foot disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current knee conditions (meniscus tears, strain, and Baker's cyst) are unrelated to his in-service chondromalacia patellae, but did not address whether any of the Veteran's symptomatology was associated with his service-connected chondromalacia.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Chondromalacia, Left Knee Chondromalacia, Low Back Disability (Secondary to Service-Connected Bilateral Knee and Foot Disabilities)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 28, 2011
- Citation
- 1124508
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 1124508.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee instability rating is restored to 20 percent effective November 1, 2019. The initial disability rating for right knee instability remains denied and the increased disability rating for right knee chondromalacia is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee conditions have been denied. The current evaluations for the right knee under DC 5260 are 10 percent, while those for the left knee under DCs 5260 and 5261 are noncompensable.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is not productive of actual or functional flexion limited to 30 degrees, extension limited to 10 degrees, ankylosis, recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, patellar instability, dislocated semilunar cartilage, symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage, impairment of the tibia and fibula, medial tibial stress syndrome or shin splints, or genu recurvatum. Therefore, a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee chondromalacia, to include right knee meniscal tear, residuals of meniscectomy, and residuals of right knee arthroplasty is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's pes planus, left knee lateral meniscus tear, right knee chondromalacia, and left knee chondromalacia were all denied increased ratings. The Veteran was already in receipt of the maximum schedular rating for his left knee lateral meniscus tear.
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