The veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings were denied. The Board found that the current knee disabilities are not related to his military service, and the ankle disability was not rated higher than 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions indicated that the veteran's current knee conditions are more likely due to aging rather than service-connected injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis (status post total knee replacement), scar, shell fragment wound, left posterior thigh with muscle damage
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2007
- Citation
- 0740396
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 0740396.
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 Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee arthritis, and bilateral knee instability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay evidence regarding the onset of symptoms in service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee degenerative arthritis, as his current conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, and multiple orthopedic conditions, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his active service.
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