The Board denied all issues on appeal, including service connection for depression, dental trauma, bilateral foot disability, and back disability. The Veteran's right total knee arthroplasty was rated at 30 percent from July 1, 2009, and the left knee arthritis/patellar tendonitis was rated at 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no evidence of service connection for depression or dental trauma. The bilateral foot disability and back disability were not addressed as they were not part of the appeal process. For the right total knee arthroplasty, the Board noted that the Veteran's range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. Similarly, for the left knee arthritis/patellar tendonitis, the Board found no evidence to support an increased rating.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, dental trauma, bilateral foot disability, back disability, right total knee arthroplasty, arthritis/patellar tendonitis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2014
- Citation
- 1428367
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 1428367.
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 case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
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