The Board denied increased ratings for left knee chondromalacia patella with instability and left knee posttraumatic arthritis, as well as right knee instability. The Veteran's claims were remanded but not fully resolved.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support higher ratings for the left knee disabilities due to lack of findings of ankylosis, semilunar cartilage conditions, flexion limited to 30 degrees or worse, extension limited to 15 degrees or worse, or any tibia or fibula impairment. For right knee instability, the medical evidence did not support a higher rating as there was no objective evidence of instability.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Chondromalacia Patella, Left Knee Posttraumatic Arthritis, Right Knee Instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20074159
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (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 20074159.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated and denied for increased ratings, with some conditions receiving specific disability ratings. The Veteran is granted a 60% rating for her total right knee replacement from September 4, 2015 onwards, but the other claims are denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted a separate rating of 30 percent for right knee instability, but has remanded the issue of an increased rating for right knee disability due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to consider the effects of pain medication.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of representation.
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