The Board granted service connection for multiple musculoskeletal disabilities, including left hip osteoarthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee joint osteoarthritis, right big toe osteoarthritis, cervical spine degenerative disc disease with cervical stenosis, and thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, lumbosacral spine spondylosis, and lumbosacral strain.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a finding that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- left hip osteoarthritis, status-post total hip arthroplasty, right hip osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee joint osteoarthritis, status-post total knee replacement, right big toe osteoarthritis, cervical spine degenerative disc disease with cervical stenosis, status-post cervical laminectomy and fusion with instrumentation C3-C6, thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, lumbosacral spine spondylosis, and lumbosacral strain, status-post lumbar surgery
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25039596
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for an appropriate VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's right hip disability, as the April 2021 VA examination is deemed inadequate.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a higher rating for right knee strain to ensure that the estimated range of motion provided for repeated use over time and during flare-ups is sufficient for rating purposes.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the claims for bilateral tinnitus, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis due to inadequate medical evidence.
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