The Board has determined that the Veteran's current knee, ankle and toe disabilities are not related to his service-connected right thigh gunshot wound. The VA examiner concluded that the osteoarthritis is more likely due to his age, obesity and occupational history.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of a causal relationship between the Veteran's antalgic gait pattern and osteoarthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Osteoarthritis, Left Knee Osteoarthritis, Right Ankle Osteoarthritis, Left Ankle Osteoarthritis, Right First Metatarsophalangeal Joint (MTP) Osteoarthritis, Left First MTP Joints Osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2016
- Citation
- 1611258
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 1611258.
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 right and left knee disabilities, finding that the current conditions are not related to service due to lack of evidence of a chronic condition during service or post-service continuity.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his awards of ratings for right and left knee osteoarthritis based on limitation of extension. The evidence did not show a compensable limitation of extension prior to February 6, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his right knee disability is remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and consideration of medication effects.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, left knee osteoarthritis, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective February 23, 2024.
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