The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral knee DJD and peripheral arterial disease of the lower extremities are not etiologically related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the current bilateral knee DJD is less likely than not caused by any incident of active duty service, attributing it to aging and increased BMI. The peripheral arterial disease was also deemed unlikely to be related to in-service injury due to its bilateral nature and location.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee DJD, peripheral arterial disease of bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 9, 2016
- Citation
- 1618511
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 1618511.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for clothing allowances due to a lack of evidence in the record, including the Veteran's prosthetics records and AOJ decisions. The claim must be returned to the AOJ with all relevant documents.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral knee DJD and obesity are granted service connection. The acquired psychiatric disorder (likely depression) is denied, and the hypertension claim is remanded for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's disability picture did not meet criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee DJD and asthma, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's current diagnoses of hypertension have not been addressed due to a lack of VA examination.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.