The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar spine, bilateral hips, and right knee disorders are not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability. The evaluations for carpal tunnel syndrome fracture of the wrist with carpal tunnel syndrome and fracture of the wrist with degenerative arthritis have also been denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not find a direct causal relationship between the veteran's lumbar spine, bilateral hips, and right knee disorders and his service-connected left knee disability. The examiner opined that the back problems were due to wear and tear rather than the left leg fracture.
- Claimed conditions
- Disorders of the lumbar spine (degenerative arthropathy, degenerative discopathy at L4-L5, radiculitis/radiculopathy at L4-L5), Right knee (abrasive chondroplasty and medial meniscectomy), Bilateral hips
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2002
- Citation
- 0212376
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 0212376.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and special monthly compensation from May 5, 2019.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands all claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and the need for additional medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection for joint pain, specifically low back, bilateral hips, right knee, and right wrist due to insufficient evidence regarding a direct relationship to in-service duties. Additional development is needed to address whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his exposure on concrete and steel decks during service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the left ankle, bilateral shoulders, knees, hands, wrists, elbows, feet, hips, and lumbar spine. The veteran's arthritis was not found to have originated during or within one year after his military service.
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