The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder as there was no evidence of chronic disability during service or within one year after separation, and no medical evidence linking any current diagnosis to his military service.
The deciding factor: The October 2008 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's current degenerative joint disease and total arthroplasty of the left knee were not caused by or a result of his injury in service. The absence of evidence showing chronic disability during service or within one year after separation, along with the lack of medical evidence linking any current diagnosis to military service, led to this decision.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2009
- Citation
- 0910948
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, type II, migraines, left and right knee disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea due to missing military records and inadequate examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders to obtain a new examination that adequately addresses all pertinent evidence of record.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis was dismissed due to a untimely notice of disagreement. The left knee disorder claim is remanded for further action.
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