The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee conditions, as well as a systolic ejection heart murmur. The Board found that there is no persuasive evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,For the remaining issues of service connection for left and right ankle conditions, the case is being remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The January 2018 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current knee conditions are less likely than not related to his service due to the nature of the injuries (knee strains) and their lack of impact on joint structure, which is where degenerative arthritis presents.,For the ankle issues, the Board found the January 2018 VA examination inadequate as it did not provide a rationale for its opinion. The case is being remanded to allow for further development.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Condition, Right Knee Condition, Systolic Ejection Heart Murmur, Left Ankle Condition, Right Ankle Condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 5, 2022
- Citation
- 22038278
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 22038278.
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 Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are more likely than not related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the most recent rating decision on the merits, issued in October 2024, requires correction due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The claim for service connection for a right knee condition is being remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee condition is related to his service-connected left knee, back, and bilateral foot disabilities. The decision grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for migraine headaches, right knee condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.
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