The Board denied increased disability ratings for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet criteria for higher ratings.
The deciding factor: The VA rating schedule does not allow for separate ratings for flexion or extension limitations of the same joint when combined into a single 10% rating under Diagnostic Code 5260 (flexion) and Diagnostic Code 5261 (extension).
- Claimed conditions
- Left knee patellofemoral syndrome, Right knee patellofemoral syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20066817
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 20066817.
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: Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU for the period from May 25, 2016 to January 18, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from July 7, 2017, but no earlier, to July 26, 2019, and he was granted basic eligibility for DEA benefits during the same period.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for binge eating disorder and denied increased ratings for various disabilities, but granted a 20 percent rating for right knee patellofemoral syndrome with limitation of flexion and a separate 10 percent rating for right knee patellofemoral syndrome with instability.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD, service connection for left and right knee instability and locking, but remanded evaluations for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome and limitation of flexion as well as the TDIU claim.
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