The Veteran's right knee replacement warrants a minimum 30 percent rating. A higher rating is not warranted as he does not have ankylosis, limitation of extension of the knee, or impairment of the tibia and fibula.,The criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for deep vein thrombosis have not been met as the disability resolved prior to the filing of the appeal.,The Veteran's heart disability is remanded for an addendum opinion.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran has chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness in his right knee, which would warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5256 (ankylosis), 5261 (limitation of extension) and 5262 (impairment of the tibia and fibula).,The Veteran's deep vein thrombosis resolved prior to the filing of the appeal, thus not meeting the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.,An addendum opinion is needed to determine if the treatment with Warfarin after surgery caused a heart disability and whether it was due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Replacement, Deep Vein Thrombosis, Heart Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20031881
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 20031881.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's heart disability has been rated at 100% from September 12, 2022 to August 18, 2023. He is also eligible for special monthly compensation and Dependents' Educational Assistance during this period.
- Denied
The Veteran's heart disability is currently rated at 60 percent from February 24, 2023.,The effective date for the grant of TDIU was set to February 24, 2023.
- Denied
The Veteran's preexisting right knee disability was not worsened beyond natural progression during service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity is denied as there was no prior formal or informal claim submitted before July 2, 2016.
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