The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his left knee and lumbar spine disabilities was denied. The Board found that the residuals of a fracture of the left tibial lateral plateau warranted a 40 percent rating, but not higher. For the DDD of the lumbar spine, the reduction from 20 to 10 percent on January 1, 2010 is considered part of his appeal and was upheld.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left knee disability did not meet criteria for a higher rating as it did not demonstrate ankylosis or extension limited to 45 degrees. The lumbar spine reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent on January 1, 2010 was upheld.
- Claimed conditions
- fracture of the left tibial lateral plateau, degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 16, 2011
- Citation
- 1130342
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 1130342.
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 has granted service connection for a labral tear and cartilage defect of the left shoulder, DDD of the lumbar spine, and SI joint dysfunction due to the Veteran's service-connected low back disability. The decision is based on the current disabilities being causally related to injuries sustained during service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a bilateral hip disorder, manifested by pain and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine. The claim for a hand disorder was denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy, but denied increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and other conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability and denied increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity prior to June 7, 2024. The appeal was remanded for other issues.
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