The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of skeletal arthritis, residuals of cold injury to bilateral feet, cold injury to upper extremities, or cold injury to lower extremities. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.,Regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder and bilateral hip strain, the Board finds that there is no evidence showing a relationship between his current disabilities and service. The VA examiner opined that these conditions are more likely due to natural aging process rather than service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has any diagnosed condition related to service, including skeletal arthritis, residuals of cold injury to bilateral feet, cold injury to upper extremities, or cold injury to lower extremities. The VA examiner found no link between these conditions and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Skeletal Arthritis, Residuals of a Cold Injury to Bilateral Feet, Cold Injury to Upper Extremities, Cold Injury to Lower Extremities (Lower Legs), Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine, Bilateral Knee Disorder, Bilateral Hip Disorder, Valvular Heart Disease, Bilateral Lung Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 20, 2018
- Citation
- 1810635
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 1810635.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine due to a duty to assist error. The AOJ is instructed to obtain relevant medical records, including SSA disability records and Federal prison medical records, and request an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's back disorder.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, and bilateral knee disorders as these conditions are not shown to be related to military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a bilateral hip disorder due to issues with the evidence and need for further medical opinions.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection and initial ratings for obstructive sleep apnea, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeal for valvular heart disease was also dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.
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