The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent disabling for chondromalacia patella, right knee, and patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee, prior to May 7, 2014.
The deciding factor: For the period prior to May 7, 2014, the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities were not manifested by flexion limited to 30 degrees or extension limited to 15 degrees, ankylosis, recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, meniscus (semilunar cartilage) condition with frequent episodes of joint 'locking,' or impairment of tibia and fibula.
- Claimed conditions
- Chondromalacia patella, right knee, Patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2025
- Citation
- 25005054
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,858 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25005054.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's SMC claim was granted based on his service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder and multiple knee conditions. The effective date is set at February 24, 2018.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right shoulder and right ankle disabilities, as well as service connection for various other conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for peripheral vestibular disorder and denied service connection for GERD, while granting service connection for patellofemoral pain syndrome in both the left and right knees.
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