The Board found that there was no actual improvement in the Veteran's right knee disability over the 8-month period between the February 2009 and October 2009 examinations. Therefore, the reduction from 30 percent to 10 percent for his service-connected right knee disability is denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examination conducted in October 2009 did not evaluate the extent of functional impairment of the right knee, which was a critical factor in determining whether there had been actual improvement over the prior period.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Arthritis, Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear, Posterior Horn of Medial Meniscus Tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- May 16, 2012
- Citation
- 1217399
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 1217399.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating prior to August 12, 2013 was denied as his right knee disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5003.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating from April 1, 2016 was denied as he is already receiving the maximum allowable disability rating of 60 percent for total right knee replacement.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The rating for PTSD was not granted, and the claims for left foot neuropathy, right foot neuropathy, left knee arthroplasty and rheumatoid arthritis, and right knee arthritis were also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee disability is found to have resulted from his active service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability, finding that it is caused by his service-connected left knee disability.
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