The Veteran's increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees are denied. The Board found no evidence that her knee disabilities caused or aggravated her lumbosacral spine disability, thus denying service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s back pain was less likely than not related to her knee disabilities due to a lack of significant antalgic gait in the knees leading to arthritic changes in the back.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the left knee, osteoarthritis of the right knee, degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20023525
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 20023525.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's right ear hearing loss, cervical strain, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine have been granted service connection. The claim for an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee is granted. The claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left shoulder is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU are being remanded due to procedural errors in the development process. The VA is required to provide an examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disorders, including any meniscal disability or patellar instability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gout, bilateral foot and osteoarthritis of the left knee. The conditions are found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
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