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Whole decision: Denied

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current disabilities, including lower back strain, bilateral knee and ankle disorders, are not related to service or any injury sustained therein.

The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence showing a link between the Veteran's reported in-service injuries during parachute training and his currently diagnosed disabilities. The service treatment records do not document any complaints or treatment for these conditions during service. Additionally, there is no continuity of symptomatology from service to the present.

Claimed conditions
lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral knee strain, bilateral knee tendonitis, bilateral knee arthritis, bilateral ankle tendonitis, bilateral ankle arthritis
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
December 14, 2017
Citation
1758005

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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1758005.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

What you can do next

Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

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