The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his right ankle disability, as he had moderate limitation of motion and no marked limitation. His knee disabilities also did not meet criteria for higher ratings.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s right ankle disability was rated at its highest under Diagnostic Code 5271 (moderate limited motion) due to the absence of marked limitation of motion, even with complaints of pain. For his knees and lumbar spine, the evidence did not show chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Osteoarthritis of the right ankle"}, {"condition_name":"Tricompartmental osteoarthritis of the right knee (status post total knee replacement)"}, {"condition_name":"Tricompartmental osteoarthritis of the left knee (status post total knee replacement)"}, {"condition_name":"Lumbar degenerative disk disease, status post L4-L5 laminotomies and diskectomies"}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20067314
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
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