The Board granted a separate 20 percent disability rating for lateral instability of the right and left knees from September 7, 2023, but denied increased ratings in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of both knees.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's knee disabilities resulted in lateral instability most nearly approximated as (the functional equivalent of) a knee sprain or incomplete ligament tear, and use of a prescribed assistive device (cane) for ambulation from September 7, 2023. However, the criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion were not met.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis and patellofemoral pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25021782
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 948 · Granted: 52% (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 A25021782.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee arthritis, and bilateral knee instability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay evidence regarding the onset of symptoms in service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee degenerative arthritis, as his current conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, and multiple orthopedic conditions, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his active service.
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