The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, cervical spondylosis, right shoulder arthropathy, and bilateral hip arthritis, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to active duty service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's reports of joint pain symptoms in and since service were credible and competent, and considered them alongside other evidence including VA examination and treatment records. The Board also noted the Veteran's engagement in combat with the enemy during his service in Vietnam, which may have assisted in establishing both the in-service disease or injury element and the incurrence of the disability itself.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, cervical spondylosis, right shoulder arthropathy, bilateral hip arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21075146
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 21075146.
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 hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and ratings have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing from appellate consideration in December 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various conditions, including allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, lower extremity radiculopathies, and left lower extremity radiculopathy with foot drop. The issues include determining if these conditions are related to service or other factors.
- Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death while the appeal was pending.
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