The Board has granted service connection for left and right ankle degenerative arthritis on a direct basis, finding that the Veteran's self-reported symptoms since service are at least as likely as not caused by in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's statements to be highly probative regarding his continuous self-treatment of lay-observable symptoms and functional loss of the bilateral ankles since service, which were subsequently diagnosed as degenerative arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle degenerative arthritis, right ankle degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2022
- Citation
- 22051967
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 22051967.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected right ankle degenerative arthritis and his current knee conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ankle degenerative arthritis has been dismissed.,Service connection for the right shoulder condition is granted, and new evidence supports readjudicating the claim for residuals of CAPSO.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, TBI, and vertigo, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for left ankle degenerative arthritis, left foot degenerative arthritis, and left foot post-surgical scar due to an error in failing to provide notice of the right to a hearing on a supplemental claim.
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