The Veteran's initial ratings for right and left knee chondromalacia were denied as they did not meet the criteria to establish a rating more than 10 percent from June 13, 2005 to December 14, 2010 and April 1, 2011 and continuing thereafter.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's knee flexion was at worst 100 degrees and extension was at worst 0 degrees for the entire appeal period. The VA examination did not find any limitation of motion that would warrant a rating more than 10 percent for both knees under Diagnostic Codes (DC) 5260.
- Claimed conditions
- Right knee chondromalacia, Left knee chondromalacia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19190530
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (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 19190530.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right knee disability is being remanded for further evaluation due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its onset and etiology.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his right knee disability from April 16, 2013 to March 15, 2016 was denied as the evidence did not show flexion limited to 30 degrees or more.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted from September 1, 2008 to May 20, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities making him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and readjudication due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.