The Board denied the claims for earlier effective dates and higher initial ratings for low back, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence supporting unfavorable ankylosis or other criteria necessary for higher ratings.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support findings of unfavorable ankylosis or other criteria necessary for higher ratings, thus denying the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Recurrent low back pain, Right shoulder glenohumeral joint instability, Left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, Right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2024
- Citation
- A24070735
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 granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- Partly granted
The Board denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome but granted a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability. The claim for service connection for a back disorder was remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied higher disability ratings for the veteran's low back and lower extremity radiculopathies, pseudofolliculitis barbae, pes planus and plantar fasciitis, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional development, specifically to obtain addendum medical opinions assessing the severity of the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine and right knee in terms of functional loss with weight bearing and passive motion.
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