The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee DJD was denied as the evidence did not show sustained improvement in his condition, warranting a reduction from 20% to 10%. The initial ratings of 10% and 20% were also denied as there was no evidence of limitation of motion or instability that would support higher ratings.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's DJD did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10% from November 6, 2014 to May 24, 2015 and 20% after May 25, 2015 due to lack of limitation of motion or instability. The reduction from 20% to 10% was not proper as there was no evidence of sustained improvement in his condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 20, 2018
- Citation
- 1810756
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 1810756.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee DJD from October 1, 2008 to August 30, 2010 due to the lack of evidence showing limitation of flexion or extension that would warrant a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected DJD of the left knee and left knee lateral instability, from December 15, 2009, to September 5, 2014.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain a new VA medical opinion regarding the severity of the left knee DJD without the ameliorative effects of medication during the limited appeal period.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for DJD and instability of both knees but granted separate 20 percent ratings for dislocated semilunar cartilage in the left and right knees.
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