The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities did not manifest during service or within one year of discharge, and are more likely due to natural aging and obesity. The VA examiner opined that the current condition is less likely related to his service-connected neck and back conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner noted that the Veteran's knee conditions began many years after the in-service back and neck injuries, and there is no medical literature supporting a link between degenerative disc disease or DJD of the neck or back causing or aggravating the development of DJD of the knees.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee osteoarthritis, right knee meniscal tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 13, 2017
- Citation
- 1712006
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 1712006.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee arthritis, and bilateral knee instability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay evidence regarding the onset of symptoms in service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, right knee meniscal tear with osteoarthritis and patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right knee limitation of extension. The effective dates are April 15, 2015, January 30, 2015, and January 20, 2015 respectively.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee conditions, including meniscal tear and osteoarthritis, are related to her service. The decision grants service connection for these conditions.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder, finding that his current condition is not causally related to his military service.
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