The Board has determined that the Veteran's arthritis of both knees and ankles is not service connected, as there is no evidence showing it was incurred or aggravated during his active duty service. The claim for secondary service connection due to diabetes mellitus is also denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not find a direct link between the Veteran's arthritis and his military service, and the medical advisory opinion concluded that the arthritis is less likely than not caused by his active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of both knees, Arthritis of both ankles
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2012
- Citation
- 1231996
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 1231996.
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 arthritis of both ankles, bilateral elbow disability, and left hand disability as secondary to residuals of left knee injury with instability.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances for his bilateral knee braces for calendar year 2013, finding that the braces caused wear and tear to his clothing.
- Denied
The Veteran's arthritis of both knees was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board finds no relationship between the current knee disabilities and his military service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's arthritis of both knees was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not shown to be caused by other service-connected disability. The preponderance of evidence on file does not support a finding that the veteran's current knee symptoms are related to his shell fragment wounds during service.
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.