The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated as 20 percent disabling from September 1, 1999; 100 percent disabling from April 17, 2009; 20 percent disabling from June 1, 2009; 100 percent disabling from May 6, 2010; and 30 percent disabling from August 1, 2011. The Veteran's right knee disability has not resulted in functional loss consistent with or comparable to limitation of motion of the leg to 60 degrees on flexion or to 5 degrees on extension.
The deciding factor: The objective evidence does not show flexion limited to 15 degrees or extension limited to 20 degrees, which are required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5260 and 5261 respectively. The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated based on limitation of motion.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Left lumbar radiculopathy associated with back disability, Right lumbar radiculopathy associated with back disability, Status post total knee replacement, residuals of right knee injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 16, 2012
- Citation
- 1210012
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 1210012.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his lumbar spine and right hip disabilities due to a duty to assist error. The effective date for DEA benefits is granted as May 1, 2014.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and higher initial rating for his back disability is denied. The effective date remains March 29, 2021, as the earliest date of claim. An initial rating in excess of 20 percent for the back disability from March 29, 2021, is also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability and right leg radiculopathy are granted service connection, but left leg radiculopathy is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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