The Veteran's left knee surgical scars are not compensable as they do not meet the criteria for a 10% rating under Diagnostic Code 7805 due to their size, stability, and lack of pain or instability.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not show that the scars are deep and nonlinear, superficial and nonlinear, unstable, painful, or result in limitation of function.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee surgical scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19165768
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,987 · Granted: 15% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19165768.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for left knee conditions, MDD, and a left knee disability; service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, PN, lumbar strain, and right knee strain; and entitlement to TDIU was denied. The appeal is dismissed as untimely.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for left eye glaucoma and denied increased ratings for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee surgical scars. The claims for increased ratings for left knee degenerative arthritis and status post reconstructive surgery, as well as for bilateral hearing loss, were remanded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis for referral to the Director of Compensation Service.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date for TDIU and SMC from September 1, 2017, but denied earlier effective dates for service connection of various conditions. It also granted a 10% rating for GERD starting July 5, 2016, and other ratings as detailed.
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