The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right and left hip arthritis, right and left hand arthritis, right and left shoulder arthritis, cervical spine arthritis, and lumbar spine arthritis. The claims for right knee, left knee, right ankle, left ankle, right foot, and left foot arthritis were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea or any of the other claimed conditions had their onset in service or were otherwise causally related to his military service, including his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Right Hip Arthritis, Left Hip Arthritis, Right Hand Arthritis, Left Hand Arthritis, Right Shoulder Arthritis, Left Shoulder Arthritis, Cervical Spine Arthritis, Lumbar Spine Arthritis, Right Knee Arthritis, Left Knee Arthritis, Right Ankle Arthritis, Left Ankle Arthritis, Right Foot Arthritis, Left Foot Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2024
- Citation
- 24000737
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 Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorders, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and bilateral radiculopathy and neuropathy of the lower extremities.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 50 percent rating.
- Partly granted
The appeal for entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was granted, while other appeals were dismissed as untimely and remanded for further action on essential tremors.
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