The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's bilateral hip and ankle degenerative joint disease are not related to service, as they manifested many years after separation from service. The conditions are considered biomechanical in nature and not linked to toxic exposures or other service events.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral hip and ankle degenerative joint disease to his military service, attributing them instead to obesity which is commonly associated with these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hip Degenerative Joint Disease, Bilateral Ankle Degenerative Joint Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2015
- Citation
- 1502231
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 1502231.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, is service-connected.,The Veteran's chronic gastritis is service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral ankle degenerative joint disease is service-connected.,The Veteran's cervical spine condition to include strain and pain is service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral hip degenerative joint disease is service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral foot degenerative joint disease is service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral shoulder degenerative joint disease is service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral knee degenerative joint disease is service-connected.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability and bilateral hip degenerative joint disease is granted. The low back disability issue remains pending.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shoulder and ankle degenerative joint disease on a presumptive basis due to in-service bone studies indicating arthritis. The issue of an increased rating for right knee arthritis is also granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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