The Veteran's bilateral knee disorders have been attributed to known clinical diagnoses of chondromalacia patella, osteoarthritis, and patellofemoral syndrome. The claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders are denied as the disorders are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral knee disorders have been attributed to known clinical diagnoses of chondromalacia patella, osteoarthritis, and patellofemoral syndrome. The claims for service connection are denied as the disorders are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Alcohol Abuse, Left Elbow Disorder (likely epicondylitis or a disorder due to undiagnosed illness), Right Knee Disorder (likely chondromalacia patella, osteoarthritis, and/or patellofemoral syndrome), Left Knee Disorder (likely chondromalacia patella, osteoarthritis, and/or patellofemoral syndrome), Ulcer Condition, Hypertension, Arthritis (other than in the left knee), Hemorrhoids, Vision Loss, Gallstones, Kidney Stones, Diarrhea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 28, 2015
- Citation
- 1542026
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 1542026.
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: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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