The Veteran's left knee tendonitis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine have been evaluated, but service connection for these conditions cannot be established as they are not shown to be related to his military service. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also denied.
The deciding factor: Service records do not show a diagnosis of chondromalacia patella in the left knee during service and there is no medical evidence linking current left knee tendonitis to service. For the lumbar spine, while degenerative disc disease was noted in service, recent VA examinations have found no basis for attributing the current condition to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Tendonitis, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 17, 2018
- Citation
- 1803123
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 1803123.
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 Board denied the claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder due to a lack of new and relevant evidence, and remanded the claim for an increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) from January 1, 2019, and an effective date of the same for eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates and higher initial ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, service connection for polysubstance abuse disorder secondary to a service-connected disability, and a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for GERD and increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal for a compensable initial rating for COPD and scar of the left shoulder was withdrawn. Other appeals were denied.
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