The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder, left knee, and left elbow disabilities are not related to his active duty service.,Service connection for these conditions is denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of arthritis during service and concluded that the current disabilities were due to normal aging process.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Degenerative Joint Disease, Left Knee Osteoarthritis with Total Knee Replacement, Left Elbow Tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 22, 2017
- Citation
- 1723474
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 1723474.
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 Veteran's left shoulder condition, including degenerative joint disease and a rotator cuff tear, is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board found that the evidence does not support an increase in rating beyond this level.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as the evidence did not establish that his service-connected disabilities had precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Board has revised the October 2015 rating decision to grant a 30 percent evaluation for left shoulder disability, effective June 24, 2011, based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE).
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected left elbow tendonitis, finding that his disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under any applicable diagnostic code.
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.