The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, ruling out any chronicity or continuity of symptoms. The Veteran's current pain is not related to his active duty service.,Service connection was also denied for a left leg disorder as secondary to the service-connected back disorder. The VA examiner found no evidence of radiculopathy and noted that the Veteran had multiple risk factors for osteoarthritis, including obesity and alcohol use.,The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder as secondary to the service-connected left ankle disorder. The VA examiner concluded there was no evidence to support that the right ankle problem was primarily caused by the left ankle.
The deciding factor: There is no probative evidence showing a chronic low back disorder during or within one year following service, and the Veteran's current pain is not related to his active duty service.,The VA examiner found no evidence of radiculopathy in the Veteran's left leg. The Veteran had multiple risk factors for osteoarthritis, including obesity and alcohol use, which contributed to his right ankle disorder.,The VA examiner concluded there was no evidence to support that the right ankle problem was primarily caused by the left ankle. Multiple joint complaints can contribute to an altered gait, including back and knee complaints.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disorder, Left leg disorder (ruling out radiculopathy), Right ankle disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23040538
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 23040538.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, bilateral knee disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the evidence did not show an in-service onset or relationship to service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disorder, finding that it was not shown to be related to his active duty service and did not meet the criteria for secondary service connection due to his left ankle disability.
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