The Board denied an initial rating of over 10 percent for a back disability, and ratings of over 10 percent for right knee degenerative arthritis with bursitis and left knee degenerative joint disease.
The deciding factor: The severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's back, right knee, and left knee disabilities did not more nearly approximate the criteria required for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbosacral strain with L5-S1 degenerative disc disease, Right knee degenerative arthritis with bursitis, Left knee degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25027369
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis and IVDS of the lumbar spine is granted a 40 percent rating, while other claims for increased ratings are denied or remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and readjudication due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome, left and right ankle disabilities but remanded the claims for other joint conditions due to insufficient evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of July 21, 2017, for the assignment of a 50 percent disability rating for service-connected PTSD and denied higher ratings for right quadriceps disability and left knee degenerative joint disease.
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