The Veteran's right total knee replacement scarring is not compensable, as the evidence does not show it causes significant functional impairment.,Tarsal tunnel syndrome of the right foot warrants a 20 percent rating due to severe incomplete paralysis. The current 20 percent rating remains unchanged.,Bilateral hearing loss results in a noncompensable rating based on the Maryland CNC speech recognition scores and pure tone thresholds.,Right knee total replacement requires a higher rating, as the Veteran's condition does not meet the criteria for a 30 percent or higher rating under current diagnostic codes.,Left knee arthritis and ankylosis also require a higher rating due to the severity of the condition.,Retropatellar pain syndrome in the left knee warrants a compensable rating, as it is currently rated at zero percent.,Right leg osteochondroma requires a compensable rating based on its current noncompensable status.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's conditions do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes due to lack of significant functional impairment or severity in some cases.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Total Knee Replacement Scarring, Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, Right Foot, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Total Knee Replacement, Right Knee, Arthritis and Ankylosis, Left Knee, Retropatellar Pain Syndrome, Left Knee, Right Leg Osteochondroma, Lateral Aspect Distal Tibia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2024
- Citation
- A24076335
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 A24076335.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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