The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the old or new rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s knee and cervical spine disabilities did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on the pre-amended or post-amended criteria, as her symptoms did not warrant a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) with degenerative changes of the left knee, Left knee meniscal condition, Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Cervical radiculopathy, left upper extremity (LUE), Migraine headaches, including migraine variants with tension headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2021
- Citation
- 21026112
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 21026112.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a separate rating for a left knee meniscal condition prior to March 1, 2021 was denied. The Board found that there were no frequent episodes of locking or effusion into the joint during this period.,The Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use of both knees was also denied. The Board determined that his conditions did not meet the criteria for loss of use as defined by VA regulations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a cervical spine disability and lumbar spine disability as further development is needed to obtain an adequate medical opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for PTSD and remanded the claims for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar and cervical spine, bilateral trochanteric pain syndrome, and a gastrointestinal disability, to obtain additional medical opinions.
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