The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the bilateral shoulders and knees, as there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence linking the claimed conditions to the veteran's period of service. The most recent VA examinations found no evidence of arthritis in either the shoulders or knees, and the records do not support a finding that any diagnosed condition was incurred during service or as a result of an injury sustained therein.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the bilateral shoulders, arthritis of the bilateral knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 8, 2008
- Citation
- 0815253
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar spondylosis with degenerative joint disease and remanded claims for internal derangement of the left knee with meniscectomy, bilateral pes planus, arthritis of the shoulders, elbows, hands and fingers, legs, diabetes mellitus, hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for arthritis of the cervical spine, bilateral knees, bilateral elbows, and bilateral shoulders to obtain new VA medical opinions that adequately address whether these conditions are related to military service or aggravated by service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings to ensure compliance with previous remand instructions, including obtaining new medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the bilateral knees, a bilateral foot disability (plantar fasciitis and pes planus, Achilles tendonitis), and a neurological disability of the lower extremities (radiculopathy) as there was no evidence to support the existence of current disabilities related to these conditions.
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