The Veteran's right and left knee chondromalacia patella are found to have pre-existed service but were aggravated by military service, warranting service connection.,There is a strong correlation between the Veteran's pes planus and his low back disability. The Board finds that this low back disability may be considered secondary to his service-connected pes planus.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence supports the finding of pre-existence of chondromalacia patella in both knees, which was aggravated by military service.,There is a strong correlation between pes planus and low back pain, suggesting that any current low back disability may be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected pes planus.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Chondromalacia Patella, Left Knee Chondromalacia Patella, Low Back Disability (presumed secondary to service-connected pes planus)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2011
- Citation
- 1147134
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 1147134.
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 disability is granted an increased rating of 60 percent, effective November 3, 2020. The earlier effective date for the 60 percent rating and the grant of service connection for right knee scars are also granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for an unspecified anxiety disorder was denied, and the case is remanded.,The Veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 20 percent for right knee chondromalacia patella and 10 percent for right knee degenerative joint disease are also remanded due to a duty to assist error.,Additional VA medical records related to the Veteran's knees need to be obtained, and a retrospective addendum opinion is required.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and obstructive sleep apnea, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the period from July 24, 2012 to July 9, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The claim is moot as of July 10, 2017 when he received a 100% disability rating for ischemic heart disease.
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