The Board has determined that the appellant's osteoarthritis of the left knee, back (lumbar spine), and left ankle are proximately due to or the result of his service-connected right knee disability. Therefore, these conditions have been granted as secondary to the service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the appellant's fall from a power pole in 1994 aggravated his pre-existing osteoarthritis of the left knee, back (lumbar spine), and left ankle, which were already related to his service-connected right knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of the Left Knee, Osteoarthritis of the Back (Lumbar Spine), Osteoarthritis of the Left Ankle
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 4, 2009
- Citation
- 0933340
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 0933340.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood, along with other service-connected disabilities, has rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. Effective January 28, 2020, the Veteran is granted a TDIU based on these conditions. Additionally, effective January 28, 2020, he is also granted SMC at the housebound rate due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's left knee disability, including from patellofemoral syndrome to osteoarthritis and subsequent surgeries, warrants a rating of 60 percent since March 29, 2019.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disability and osteoarthritis of the left knee due to a lack of recent VA examinations, which may have provided updated information on the severity of these conditions.
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