The Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance for the 2014 calendar year was denied because his right knee brace did not tend to wear out or tear his clothing, despite his assertions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right knee brace did not have exposed metal hinges that would cause irreparable damage to clothing as determined by VA medical records and treatment notes.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee chondromalacia patella
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19133051
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 10 percent rating for right knee limitation of extension and left knee limitation of extension, but denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee chondromalacia patella.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 20, 2023, a rating in excess of 20 percent from May 20, 2023 to July 3, 2023, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter for the Veteran's right knee chondromalacia patella.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased knee ratings and TDIU for further development, as the previous Board decision did not provide an adequate statement of reasons or bases and failed to ensure VA's duty to assist had been satisfied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a rating of 20 percent for left and right knee chondromalacia patella prior to February 25, 2025, denied ratings greater than 40 percent after that date, and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability effective January 1, 2022.
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