The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and denied higher ratings for various knee conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's low back disability is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, leading to a grant of service connection. For other issues, the evidence did not support higher ratings based on the criteria set forth in the Schedule for Rating Disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), right knee degenerative joint disease (DJD), right subluxing patella, right total knee replacement, limitation of extension of the right knee, left knee DJD, left knee instability, limitation of extension of the left knee, right knee surgical scars associated with right knee DJD
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2024
- Citation
- 24033263
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for bilateral knee instability and denied service connection for right and left knee instability, finding no nexus between the Veteran's knee conditions and his service or service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for a thoracolumbar spine disorder and bilateral knee disorders due to the need for additional VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied restoration of the 30 percent ratings for left knee arthritis (flexion), left knee strain arthritis (extension), and left knee instability, as well as a 20 percent rating for left ankle chronic sprain. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were also denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee gout and a rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's right wrist condition, while remanding several other issues related to his knees and instability.
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