The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee and chronic grade I edema of the left lower leg, as there was no evidence that these conditions were incurred or aggravated in service.
The deciding factor: The expert opinion found that the veteran's claimed injury during basic training did not have a predominant effect to aggravate his preexisting residuals of the femur fracture. The current conditions were likely inevitable outcomes of the veteran's weight problem, and the treatment in service was the natural progress of the original, pre-service injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of the left knee, Chronic grade I edema of the left lower leg
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2009
- Citation
- 0903871
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for higher initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the right and left knees, and left ankle strain are remanded due to inadequate VA compensation examination reports.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to address the inadequacies of previous examinations and obtain any relevant private treatment records.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees, limitation of extension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right knee and osteoarthritis of the left knee due to a need for another VA examination.
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.