The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the knees and denied higher initial ratings for degenerative disc disease, L4-L5 and Raynaud's phenomenon.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of degenerative joint disease of the knees during service or within one year of separation; and the preponderance of the competent medical evidence shows that the current degenerative joint disease of the knees is not related to any incident of military service. For the period from January 29, 2004 to February 7, 2007, the veteran's degenerative disc disease, L4-L5 did not manifest with limitation of motion that more nearly approximated forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less or unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine. For the period beginning February 8, 2007, the veteran's degenerative disc disease, L4-L5 has manifested with forward flexion that more nearly approximates 30 degrees or less; without unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 14, 2008
- Citation
- 0812268
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 325 · Granted: 20% (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 0812268.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for SMC based on aid and attendance, finding that prior to November 5, 2018, he did not require regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeals for lumbar strain, TBI, anxiety disorder, degenerative joint disease of the knees, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and mood disorder. The PTSD appeal is remanded due to lack of verification of a reported in-service stressor involving rape.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.,The claims for service connection for a left knee condition, right knee condition, hearing loss, hypertension, hypertensive cardiovascular heart disease, and gastritis have also been reopened.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between his current disabilities and military service.
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.