The Board denied service connection for a right ankle condition, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's in-service basketball injury and his current degenerative arthritis of the right ankle.
The deciding factor: The November 2024 VA examiner provided a negative nexus opinion based on the lack of documentation and continuity of care to prove chronicity, as well as the absence of corroborating medical evidence for decades after service.
- Claimed conditions
- right ankle condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2025
- Citation
- 25005605
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 the veteran's claims for increased ratings and other benefits, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional compensation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral shoulder condition, but denied petitions to reopen claims for residuals of heat exhaustion, any dysfunction regulating body temperature, and a right ankle condition. The Board also remanded claims for bruxism and a bilateral shoulder condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle condition for compensation purposes due to his discharge being characterized as other than honorable.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, and bilateral foot conditions to ensure proper notice and an opportunity for a VA examination.
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