The Veteran's left knee chondromalacia patella with degenerative changes did not more nearly approximate severe instability, and the claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent was denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s left knee disability limited his ability to work in occupations requiring frequent stooping, prolonged standing, or walking, but did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to severe instability.
- Claimed conditions
- chondromalacia patella, degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23000800
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,185 · Granted: 28% (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 23000800.
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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The Board has granted service connection for a left knee strain with degenerative changes, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service injury.
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