The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, but denied service connection for arthritis of the neck and bilateral knee disabilities.,Service connection was also remanded for right elbow epicondylitis (tennis elbow), arthritis of the hands, sleep apnea, and secondary service connection for hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is presumed to have been incurred during a period of ACDUTRA. The other conditions were not shown to be related to service or are otherwise denied.,Further evaluations are needed to determine the etiology of the right elbow epicondylitis, arthritis of the hands, sleep apnea, and secondary hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar spine disability, Arthritis of the neck, Bilateral knee disability (to include arthritis), Right elbow epicondylitis (tennis elbow), Arthritis of the hands, Sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2018
- Citation
- 18108469
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 18108469.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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 sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, upper extremity neurological, and lower extremity neurological disabilities due to inadequate VA medical examinations in March 2019 and January-May 2016. The new examinations must consider the Veteran's reported onset dates for his symptoms.
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