The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's bilateral knee and hip conditions, except for a 50 percent rating from November 29, 2019, for right hip status post arthroplasty and a similar rating for left hip status post arthroplasty. The effective date for service connection of scars on the knees and hips was set to May 17, 2021.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's knee and hip conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings due to the lack of severe pain or weakness, and the surgeries occurred more than four months prior to the appeal period. The effective date for service connection was set based on the Veteran's filing of a specially adapted housing claim.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee strain, left knee strain, degenerative arthritis with right knee limitation of flexion, degenerative arthritis with left knee limitation of flexion, right hip status post arthroplasty, left hip status post arthroplasty, right knee scar, left knee scar, left hip scar, right hip scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25022812
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 granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including the failure to obtain relevant treatment records and provide adequate VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hip and knee disabilities, as well as a TDIU claim, to ensure adequate VA examinations are conducted.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left hip iliopsoas tendonitis, right knee strain, and left knee strain as secondary to lumbosacral strain. Service connection was also granted for cannabis use disorder as secondary to mental health conditions of PTSD, major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder, and TBI. However, the Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and granted a separate disability rating of 40 percent for TBI.
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