The Board has granted service connection for low back pain with arthritis, but denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, pitting edema of the RLE, and pitting edema of the LLE.,The Veteran's current lower extremity pitting edema is not considered secondary to his claimed knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: Service records do not show any complaints or treatment for low back pain during service. The Board accepts that chronic low back pain had onset in service and continued after service, and arthritis found on x-rays is related to the chronic pain.,The Veteran's STRs do not reflect any knee problems. Private and VA treatment reports diagnosed chondromalacia patella in both knees. However, there is no medical finding or opinion that his symptoms during service were signs of a chronic disorder, or that his activities in service caused the current chondromalacia.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back pain with arthritis, Right knee disability, Left knee disability, Pitting edema of the right lower extremity (RLE), Pitting edema of the left lower extremity (LLE)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21075967
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 21075967.
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 TDIU claim for bilateral knee disabilities and his right and left knee scars have been granted. He is now rated at a combined 60% disability rating from June 1, 2018 based on bilateral factors for his bilateral knee disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's entitlement to higher level of SMC at the intermediate rate is granted, effective from January 8, 2021. He was previously in need of aid and attendance due to his left knee disability since February 1, 2017, and now has additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that his current diagnosis of right knee strain is related to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to their death.
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