The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities, but remanded claims for service connection for right knee chondromalacia, left knee chondromalacia, thoracolumbar strain/spondylosis, a compensable rating for a fractured nose, a higher rating for chronic right ankle sprain, and a compensable rating for onychomycosis, bilateral toenails.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's sleep apnea is at least as likely as not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities. However, further evidence was needed to determine if the other conditions were aggravated by the service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, right knee chondromalacia, left knee chondromalacia, thoracolumbar strain/spondylosis, fractured nose, chronic right ankle sprain, onychomycosis, bilateral toenails
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2022
- Citation
- 22000979
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
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