The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence was against the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the left ankle, as there was no association between residuals of a mild ankle sprain and his current condition.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence linking the veteran's current left ankle arthritis to an in-service injury. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's present ankle joint complaints were not associated with the minor in-service incident, and private physicians' opinions based on history alone are not sufficient to establish a connection.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2008
- Citation
- 0809649
Veterans Law Judge
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0809649.
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: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, in combination, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for a neck disorder, diagnosed as arthritis of the cervical spine, and a left leg disorder, diagnosed as arthritis of the left ankle.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed all appeals regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right ankle, left ankle, left knee, and right knee.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of compliance with prior instructions for an ankle examination. The Veteran's claim for increased disability rating for arthritis of the left ankle is now pending.
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