The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities were denied. The RO found that the current disability levels did not warrant higher ratings based on the evidence of record.
The deciding factor: The VA determined that the Veteran's arthritis and instability conditions, as well as his status post knee replacements, did not meet the criteria for increased ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of right knee, Instability of right knee, Status post knee replacements since October 1, 2013 (right), Arthritis of left knee, Instability of left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2015
- Citation
- 1507087
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 1507087.
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 claims for service connection for arthritis of the left hand, right hand, left knee, and right knee as secondary to service-connected hepatitis C (HCV) due to procedural errors in obtaining medical opinions addressing whether HCV caused or aggravated these conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for the Veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis.
- Denied
The appeal concerning the earlier effective date for the award of a 60% rating for total right knee arthroplasty is dismissed. The Veteran's other claims and benefits are addressed, with some granted and others denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.
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