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
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
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