The Veteran's appeal is denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating under Diagnostic Codes 5260 and 5261 for left knee conditions prior to February 16, 2021. The Veteran also has no compensable ratings for his left upper extremity radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's flexion or extension of the left knee is limited to less than 30 degrees or 10 degrees respectively, which are required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5260 and 5261. The Veteran also has no compensable ratings for his left upper extremity radiculopathy.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee degenerative arthritis, left upper extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2024
- Citation
- 24002558
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,037 · 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 24002558.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee arthritis, and bilateral knee instability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay evidence regarding the onset of symptoms in service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis is dismissed. The claims for service connection for psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions are granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis and shin splints due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA examination. The case is now pending with a request for a new opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU and DEA claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence for a schedular rating, and the issues are inextricably intertwined.
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