The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his back and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 40 percent for lumbar DDD or higher than 20 percent thereafter for right knee disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations showed limited range of motion in both conditions without ankylosis or other factors warranting higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) with low back strain, Status post right knee medial meniscal repair with patellofemoral syndrome and degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- December 10, 2024
- Citation
- 24034111
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 24034111.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his back and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion on functional loss during flare-ups and a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right knee disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his back and right knee disabilities due to issues with functional loss during flare-ups and neurological manifestations, as well as inadequate range of motion measurements in a recent VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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