The Veteran's claims for service connection for left lower extremity disabilities, torn knee ligaments, and hip disability are denied as secondary to her service-connected left ankle disability. The Board found no evidence of a chronic condition in service or continuity of symptomatology after discharge.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners determined that the Veteran's current conditions were not related to military service and did not find any medical authority supporting the contention that an ankle tendonitis can cause or aggravate hip trochanteric pain syndrome and osteoarthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- Left lower extremity disability manifested by chronic edema, Torn left knee ligaments, Left hip disability, Left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2023
- Citation
- 23008713
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 23008713.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his low back, right knee, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome disabilities due to a duty to assist error. The VA examinations were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding flare-ups and functional loss/impairment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including low back, left hip, right hip, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities. The VA examinations did not provide adequate opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's bladder cancer, hypertension, Bowen's disease (skin condition), thyroid condition (hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism), back disability, left hip disability, osteopenia/osteoporosis, and right foot vascular disorder are all granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities are also found to be secondary to these conditions.
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