The Board granted restoration of a 20 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, from September 28, 2018, to August 5, 2023, and a separate 10 percent rating for right knee limitation of motion. It also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the aggregate effect of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, effective January 20, 2021.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show actual improvement in the Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis with meniscal tear as to her ability to function under the ordinary conditions of life and work. The Board found that there was not adequate evidence to warrant a reduction.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the right knee, Right knee limitation of motion, Psychiatric disability, Tinea pedis, Sleep apnea with asthma, Back disability, Left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, Right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, Diabetes mellitus type II, Hepatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 23, 2024
- Citation
- 24003282
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy but remanded the back disability claim for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability but denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, a back disability, heart disability, and residuals of a stroke, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or caused by his service-connected left ear disabilities.
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