The Board has granted service connection for low back and left knee disabilities, finding that the current conditions are more likely than not related to the Veteran's military service. The right knee disability is considered secondary to his service-connected right knee condition.
The deciding factor: Nexus opinions linking the Veteran's current bilateral knee and back conditions to his service and/or service-connected right knee disability were provided by private chiropractors and a VA examiner, with one exception regarding the relationship of the left knee disability to the service-connected right knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2015
- Citation
- 1541394
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1541394.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there is a need for additional medical examination and opinion to address the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, including DDD of the lumbar spine. The current VA opinions are deemed inadequate due to their failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports of in-service injury and continuous symptomatology since service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied as his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine, finding that his service-connected condition aggravated his nonservice-connected OSA.
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