The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of etiological relationship between the current right knee, left hallux valgus, or left knee conditions and active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners determined there was no medical evidence to support a link between the Veteran's current disabilities and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right knee osteoarthritis, Hallux valgus rigidus of left first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, Left knee cartilage, semilunar dislocated with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion into the joint
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20054986
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 20054986.
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 claim for a higher rating for right knee instability is granted, with a 30 percent rating. The claims for increased ratings for right knee osteoarthritis (flexion) and left hip strain, osteoarthritis and bursitis based on painful motion are denied. The claim for an increased rating for right ankle osteoarthritis is also denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee condition is etiologically related to service and grants service connection for this disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his right knee disability from April 16, 2013 to March 15, 2016 was denied as the evidence did not show flexion limited to 30 degrees or more.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities had their onset during active service, granting her claims for service connection.
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