The reduction in the Veteran’s compression fracture of the first lumbar vertebra rating from 20 percent to 10 percent was proper and the appeal is denied.,The rating reduction for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome from 10 percent to noncompensable effective April 1, 2015, was not proper and is restored, effective from that date.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's improvement in symptomatology associated with her service-connected compression fracture of the first lumbar vertebra will be maintained under ordinary conditions of life.,The rating reduction for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was not proper and is restored, effective from April 1, 2015.
- Claimed conditions
- Compression fracture of the first lumbar vertebra, Left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19104104
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19104104.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his low back, right knee, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome disabilities due to a duty to assist error. The VA examinations were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding flare-ups and functional loss/impairment.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on the need of regular aid and attendance due to his psychiatric symptoms.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, finding that the medical evidence did not support higher ratings based on instability or range of motion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in March 2020 and September 2020 are inadequate for rating purposes, as they did not adequately address the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities during the entire rating period on appeal. The Board requests additional retrospective medical opinions to determine the functional loss due to flare-ups and whether the Veteran's pain on motion is equivalent to ankylosis.
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