The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees, as well as osteoarthritis of the right and left ankles, finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced in favor of a relationship to active duty service.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on credible lay statements regarding continuous pain since service, corroborated by treatment records, and an addendum opinion from a private physician linking the disabilities to in-service injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the right knee, Degenerative arthritis of the left knee, Osteoarthritis of the right ankle, Osteoarthritis of the left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2024
- Citation
- 24002737
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability but denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for limitation of flexion and in excess of 10 percent for limitation of extension of the right knee due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's condition.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's knee and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees, but remanded the issue of a low back disability for further development.
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