The Board determined that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for arthritis of the left shoulder, back, and right knee. However, after a de novo review, the RO denied this claim on the merits.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish a link between the veteran's current arthritis and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the left shoulder, arthritis of the back, arthritis of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2004
- Citation
- 0425698
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 0425698.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability is remanded due to the need for an orthopedic examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of his claimed condition. The examiner must identify each diagnosed back disability entity, its likely etiology, and whether it is at least as likely as not related to service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the right and left knees, finding that it is at least as likely as not that these conditions developed due to the Veteran's active military service.,No new evidence or exposure basis was provided in this decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's arthritis of the back is granted service connection based on continuity of symptomatology.,Service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is granted due to its presumptive relationship as a qualifying chronic disability under Persian Gulf War criteria.,Service connection for a skin disability, manifested by rashes of the hands and feet, is granted based on continuity of symptoms since service.,Service connection for a gynecological disability, residuals of hysterectomy, is granted based on continuity of symptoms since service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis and patellofemoral syndrome. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service.
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