The Veteran's appeal includes claims for increased ratings and an effective date prior to May 31, 2011 for sciatica of the left lower extremity. The reduction in rating for DDD of the lumbar spine from 20% to 10% was granted. Claims for higher ratings for various knee disabilities are also addressed.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were based on service-connected conditions and did not involve any presumption or secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- DDD of the lumbar spine, sciatica of the left lower extremity, arthritis and chondromalacia of the right knee, instability of the right knee, total right knee replacement, arthritis and chondromalacia of the left knee, total left knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19149812
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's sciatica of the left lower extremity, finding that the evidence supports moderate incomplete paralysis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for right knee conditions due to insufficient medical evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted increased 20 percent ratings for limitation of motion of the left and right knees prior to their respective total knee replacements, but denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for instability of both knees and in excess of 30 percent for total knee replacements.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, except for a 20 percent rating for instability of both knees as of June 13, 2025.
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