The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic orthopedic disabilities of the left ankle, knees, hips, hands, elbows, and shoulders have been denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred during active military service or within one year post-service.
The deciding factor: There was no in-service diagnosis or treatment for any of the claimed orthopedic disabilities. The Veteran's service records do not show any chronicity of symptoms related to these conditions, and the medical evidence does not establish a nexus between his current diagnoses and military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Orthopedic Disability of the Left Ankle (Arthritis), Chronic Bilateral Orthopedic Disability of the Knees (Arthritis), Chronic Bilateral Orthopedic Disability of the Hips (Arthritis), Chronic Bilateral Orthopedic Disability of the Hands (Arthritis), Chronic Bilateral Orthopedic Disability of the Elbows (Arthritis), Chronic Bilateral Orthopedic Disability of the Shoulders (Arthritis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2012
- Citation
- 1214193
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 1214193.
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
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- Granted
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