The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding no evidence linking them to active service or undiagnosed illness.
The deciding factor: There was no objective evidence of service origin and no competent opinion linking any of the claimed disabilities to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, Degenerative joint disease of the knees, A disability manifested by joint pain, Muscle tremors, Gout
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 14, 2008
- Citation
- 0805332
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0805332.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his low back disability is being remanded due to the reduction in evaluation from 40 percent to 20 percent effective May 31, 2014. The RO needs to provide updated VA treatment records and schedule a VA examination to determine the current severity of the disability.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings and effective dates related to CVA, obstructive sleep apnea, major depressive disorder, and gout have been dismissed.,The Veteran withdrew his claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a CVA with residuals, an effective date prior to January 14, 2011, for CVA, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea, and an effective date prior to November 7, 2014, for obstructive sleep apnea.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cervical strain with spinal fusion is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating.,The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating.
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