The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and calcaneal spurs of the left heel. The veteran's right knee condition is not considered to have been incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may arthritis of the right knee be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated in active service. The Board has also granted service connection for patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee and degenerative joint disease of the left knee on a new and material basis.
The deciding factor: The veteran's low back condition had its onset during service, and calcaneal spurs of the left heel were found in service. The right knee condition was not present at separation from service or for several years later, and is not related to an incident of service or a service-connected disability. Patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee existed prior to service as demonstrated by post-service clinical findings, and degenerative joint disease of the left knee did not worsen in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Calcaneal Spurs of the Left Heel, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Lumbar Spine, Left Knee Condition (Patellofemoral Syndrome and Degenerative Joint Disease), Right Knee Condition
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2003
- Citation
- 0305739
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,177 · Granted: 24% (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 0305739.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are more likely than not related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the most recent rating decision on the merits, issued in October 2024, requires correction due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The claim for service connection for a right knee condition is being remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee condition is related to his service-connected left knee, back, and bilateral foot disabilities. The decision grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for migraine headaches, right knee condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.