The Board denied the claims for increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings under applicable criteria.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities manifested as pain with reduced flexion, but flexion was not reduced to a compensable degree. The available knee measurements indicated the Veteran's bilateral knee limited motion did not more closely approximate flexion limited to at least 30 degrees to warrant higher ratings under Diagnostic Code 5260.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Disability, Right Knee Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 28, 2025
- Citation
- 25007254
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.
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The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims for urinary frequency disability and residuals of a cholecystectomy were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted increased ratings for the Veteran's left and right knee disabilities, including separate ratings for instability and meniscal conditions, but denied higher ratings for flexion limitations in both knees. The Board also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to December 1, 2021.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for tension headaches effective September 13, 2022, but denied earlier effective dates and service connection for various conditions.
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