The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his military service or to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, and thus denied both direct and secondary service connection claims.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that there is no medical evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral knee disabilities to his military service or to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of bilateral knees, Degenerative joint disease of right knee, Chondromalacia patella of right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2011
- Citation
- 1126385
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 1126385.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the bilateral hips, knees, and shoulders as there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his TDIU award, finding that prior to March 31, 2006, his service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for a TDIU.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder strain with impingement is granted a rating of 20 percent from December 11, 2012. Other service-connected conditions are denied increased ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left shoulder and bilateral knee disabilities due to missing records and inconsistencies in previous examinations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.