The Board has granted service connection for right ankle recurrent sprains and calcification or ossification adjacent to the medial malleolus, as well as degenerative arthritis of both the right and left knees, all secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus disability.
The deciding factor: The private podiatric physician provided opinions linking the Veteran’s current ankle and knee disabilities to her service-connected foot disability, finding that the Veteran was more susceptible to these conditions due to her altered gait caused by her service-connected foot disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle recurrent sprains, Calcification or ossification adjacent to the medial malleolus, Degenerative arthritis of the right knee, Degenerative arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2021
- Citation
- 21004248
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 21004248.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee is granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied, as well as the claim for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, specifically regarding a VA medical opinion on whether the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee is related to service-connected chondromalacia and proximal patellar tendinosis of the left knee. The Board also needs another VA medical opinion addressing chronic presumptions and direct service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder, left knee, and right knee due to inadequate VA examinations in August 2020 and January 2021.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome, right knee, and left knee as secondary to the right knee.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.