The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities. The preponderance of the evidence does not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient medical evidence linking any current low back, right ankle, or left ankle disability to service or any service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the low back, Degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, Degenerative arthritis of the left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2017
- Citation
- 1755421
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 1755421.
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 degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his military service and resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor.
- Granted
The Board has determined that new evidence received after the June 2024 denial supports a finding of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left ankle. The decision concludes that the Veteran's current disability is at least as likely as not related to his in-service injury playing softball.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the left ankle and granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, while remanding claims for muscular dystrophy and special monthly compensation.
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