Service connection for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine as secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities is granted.,An effective date earlier than January 30, 2015, for the grant of service connection for bilateral ankle and bilateral knee disorders is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s DJD of the thoracolumbar spine is, at least in part, secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.,VA received the Veteran's initial claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle and bilateral knee disorder on January 30, 2015; no claim of service connection for the ankles and/or knees was received prior to that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the thoracolumbar spine, Bilateral ankle and bilateral knee disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18136427
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 18136427.
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 Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his DJD of the thoracolumbar spine is being remanded due to a need for additional medical opinion regarding the functional impairment associated with his condition, without considering the beneficial effects of medication.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a higher rating for DJD of the right hip with limitation of rotation and adduction, and higher ratings for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and SMC are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, particularly private treatment records from 2006 to 2017.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with her education and work experience prior to October 9, 2019.
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