The Board granted restoration of the 20 percent disability rating for right knee instability, effective March 11, 2024, and an earlier effective date of May 24, 2021, for a TDIU rating. SMC aid and attendance was also granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show improvement in the Veteran's right knee instability under ordinary conditions of life and work, thus the reduction was improper. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing and maintaining all forms of substantially gainful employment, and he needed regular aid and attendance due to his disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee instability, degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome with spinal stenosis, vertebral fracture and disc protrusion (back condition), right knee strain with osteoarthritis, limitation of flexion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25053905
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for bilateral knee instability and denied service connection for right and left knee instability, finding no nexus between the Veteran's knee conditions and his service or service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for a thoracolumbar spine disorder and bilateral knee disorders due to the need for additional VA examinations.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for right knee strain and instability but granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee limitation of extension from November 25, 2024.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left foot condition, right foot condition, cellulitis, right ear hearing loss, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal of the proposal to reduce a 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain was dismissed.
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