The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee chondromalacia patella and osteoarthritis (flexion) and extension were denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 10 percent for flexion, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s flexion was limited to 135 degrees, which did not warrant a compensable rating under DC 5260 because it required limitation of motion to at least 60 degrees. The extension was limited to 5 degrees, which warranted a noncompensable rating under DC 5261.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee chondromalacia patella, left knee osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19126970
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and granted increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and right ankle disability.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the claims for bilateral tinnitus, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis due to inadequate medical evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral knee, bilateral shoulder, low back and bilateral hip disabilities based on the evidence showing that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service.
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