The Board denied service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, as well as a left wrist disability other than the scar from ganglion removal. The Veteran's current conditions are not considered to be related to his military service.,Service connection was granted for the left wrist scar resulting from the removal of a ganglion cyst during service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a nexus between the Veteran’s current disabilities and his military service. The Board found that the Veteran's osteoarthritis is not related to service, as it did not manifest within one year after separation from service.,The February 2016 VA examiner determined there are no residuals of the ganglion cyst removal.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle disability, Left ankle disability, Left wrist disability (excluding residual scarring), Left wrist scar from ganglion removal
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004834
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 service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, right knee, right hand, left knee, right ankle, and residuals of a traumatic brain injury due to untimely appeals or lack of evidence supporting current disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding VA's obligation to obtain relevant records from the Social Security Administration.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including plantar fasciitis of both feet, a low back disability, a left ankle disability, meniscus tears in both knees, and hip disabilities, as additional development is necessary to obtain adequate medical opinions.
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