The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 30 percent, but no higher, for left knee chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis is granted. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating due to the presence of flare-ups during which he cannot use his knee at all.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's limitation of flexion during flare-ups was found to be equivalent to flexion limited to 15 degrees, qualifying for a 30 percent disability rating under Diagnostic Code 5260.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, erectile dysfunction (ED), bilateral hearing loss, left knee chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis, right shoulder condition, cervical spine condition, right knee condition, athlete’s foot, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral vascular disease (PVD), kidney condition, traumatic brain injury (TBI) residuals, acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- August 7, 2018
- Citation
- 18124209
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 18124209.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
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