The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder, left shoulder, back, right ankle, left ankle, left foot and toes, right foot and toes, right knee, or left knee disabilities.,The evidence does not establish a nexus between any diagnosed condition and active service.
The deciding factor: There is no medical opinion linking the Veteran's current diagnoses to his military service. The VA examiners concluded that the Veteran's arthritis was more likely due to age-related changes rather than in-service injuries or exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Arthritis, Left Shoulder Arthritis, Back Degenerative Joint Disease and Degenerative Disc Disease, Right Ankle Arthritis, Left Ankle Arthritis, Left Foot and Toes Arthritis, Right Foot and Toes Arthritis, Right Knee Arthritis, Left Knee Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2023
- Citation
- 23044704
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 23044704.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating prior to August 12, 2013 was denied as his right knee disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5003.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating from April 1, 2016 was denied as he is already receiving the maximum allowable disability rating of 60 percent for total right knee replacement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions at the time of the June and August 2025 decisions. The cases will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, and it is not etiologically related to a service-connected condition. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a left knee disability is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's left total knee replacement with left knee arthritis and scar, status post left knee arthroscopy, are granted a disability rating of 60 percent effective February 28, 2025.
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