The Veteran's right knee condition is granted a separate 10 percent rating for symptomatic removal of the meniscal cartilage. A 10 percent rating is also granted for left ankle strain, and a 30 percent rating is granted for irritable bowel syndrome. The appeal regarding ratings for left elbow lateral epicondylitis, right elbow lateral epicondylitis, and right knee limitation of motion from August 24, 2016 forward is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms were found to meet the criteria for a separate rating under Diagnostic Code 5259 (symptomatic removal of semilunar cartilage) for his meniscal condition. The left ankle strain met the criteria for a 10 percent rating based on moderate limitation of motion, and IBS was rated at 30 percent as it exhibited severe symptoms including diarrhea or alternating diarrhea and constipation with more or less constant abdominal distress.
- Claimed conditions
- Right knee status post arthroscopy torn meniscal, Left ankle strain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19139108
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (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 19139108.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of rationale in the VA examiner's opinion and an inconsistency between the examination report and nexus opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome is granted a rating of 30 percent, the maximum schedular rating under Diagnostic Code 7319. Service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to service connected tinnitus and PTSD is also granted.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was dismissed as a matter of law due to a full grant of benefits. The appeals for left knee and left ankle disabilities are remanded.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of May 19, 2024, for a separate 10 percent rating for GERD. The decision states that prior to this date, ratings for GERD and Irritable Bowel Syndrome could not be combined due to VA regulations at the time.
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