The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease was denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between any in-service event and the current diagnosis. For his lumbar spine disability, the Veteran is currently rated at 20 percent prior to May 8, 2013, and at 40 percent from September 6, 2014 onwards. The claim for TDIU prior to September 6, 2014 was also denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a finding of service connection for the Veteran's left knee degenerative joint disease and his lumbar spine disability is rated based on its current manifestations rather than any in-service injury or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 10, 2017
- Citation
- 1715748
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 1715748.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the severity of his left knee disability, including without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of functional impairment. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if any service-connected disability results in loss of use of both lower extremities, one lower extremity and one upper extremity, or residuals affecting balance and propulsion.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability was not shown to be related to service or any service-connected conditions, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in gainful employment as of January 1, 2019. The Board granted a TDIU effective from that date.
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