The Board found that the Veteran's right knee and lower back disorders are not related to his service-connected left knee osteoarthritis, status post medial meniscectomy. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's current right knee degenerative joint disease and severe degenerative disc disease and spondylosis of the lumbosacral spine were more likely caused by his history of physical work and marathon running, rather than his service-connected left knee osteoarthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Degenerative Joint Disease, Severe Degenerative Disc Disease and Spondylosis of the Lumbosacral Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2011
- Citation
- 1113075
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 1113075.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates are remanded due to inadequate examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease resulted in functional loss due to pain, instability, and required the use of a walker. The Board granted a 20 percent rating for this condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 0 percent, and he is granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran met the schedular requirements for a TDIU from July 27, 2007.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee instability is granted a separate 10 percent rating effective July 25, 2010. The claim for PTSD and the right knee conditions are denied.
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