The Board denied service connection for right Achilles tendonitis and left shoulder osteoarthritis (claimed as a left arm or shoulder disorder) due to lack of current diagnosis, no evidence of in-service injury or event related to the conditions, and no nexus between the conditions and active service.,VA examinations found that the Veteran's right Achilles pain was attributed to tibiotalar arthritis and his left shoulder complaints were diagnosed as osteoarthrosis. The Board determined these diagnoses did not meet the criteria for service connection under the provisions relating to undiagnosed illness or Multisymptom Illness (MUCMI).
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current conditions are attributed to known clinical diagnoses and there is no evidence of in-service injury, event, or disease related to these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- right Achilles tendonitis, left shoulder osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2024
- Citation
- 24031746
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 715 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24031746.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions due to untimely filing of the appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to January 31, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia due to potential aggravation by her service-connected disabilities. The RO must obtain medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran's conditions were aggravated by her service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance from another person, resulting in the grant of special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance. The issue of SMC at the housebound rate is dismissed as it is a lesser benefit than SMC based on aid and attendance.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.