The Board has restored the Veteran's disability ratings for arthritis of the right and left knees with joint instability, effective March 1, 2020. The evidence did not show improvement in knee instability that would be reasonably maintained under ordinary conditions.
The deciding factor: The May 2019 VA examination report showed no history or findings for instability, but other relevant evidence during the applicable evidentiary window indicated no improvement of balance symptoms or non-ligament related instability.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the right knee, Joint instability of the right knee, Arthritis of the left knee, Joint instability of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 19, 2020
- Citation
- A20017236
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 A20017236.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and clarification regarding the severity of the Veteran's left knee and right knee disabilities, specifically to determine if the Veteran has experienced 'the functional equivalent of range of motion loss contemplated by the next higher rating' at any point during the appeal period.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and bilateral tinnitus. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis was denied. Other claims were either granted or remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability and a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's arthritis of both knees is not related to an injury or disease incurred in active service and has not been caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple back and joint disabilities, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
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