The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of degenerative arthritis of the left ankle or DDD of the cervical spine, and there is no evidence linking these conditions to service. The Board finds the January 2012 medical opinion persuasive in concluding that the Veteran's left ankle gout and cervical spine disability are not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the competent and probative evidence indicates that the Veteran's current degenerative arthritis of the left ankle and DDD of the cervical spine were not incurred during or aggravated by service, and there is no link between these conditions and service.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the left ankle, degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 23, 2013
- Citation
- 1323487
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1323487.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision. The issues of service connection are being addressed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied a TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities not preventing him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral shin splints and ankle conditions due to a failure by the AOJ to consider the ameliorative effects of medications used to treat the Veteran's disabilities. The VA must provide adequate examinations that address the severity of her service-connected bilateral shin and ankle conditions, considering the ameliorative effects of any medication taken.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed as he withdrew his appeal with respect to all the issues.
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