The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative arthritis of the right knee and left knee, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.
The deciding factor: The VA contract examiner found no ankylosis or history of recurrent subluxation, lateral instability, or joint instability. The Veteran's range of motion was limited by pain but did not contribute to functional loss. Additional contributing factors such as less movement than normal and interference with sitting and standing were noted.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the right knee, Left knee degenerative arthritis with strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18156886
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 18156886.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability but denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome, right knee, and left knee as secondary to the right knee.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for limitation of flexion and in excess of 10 percent for limitation of extension of the right knee due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's condition.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's knee and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
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