The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for left ankle degenerative arthritis, right ankle degenerative arthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and plantar fasciitis, bilateral feet.
The deciding factor: The earliest date for which service connection could be awarded was June 27, 2022, as the Veteran had not previously filed claims for these disabilities prior to that date.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle degenerative arthritis, right ankle degenerative arthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25040217
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion on whether plantar fasciitis was aggravated by active duty training.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating of more than 20 percent for left ankle degenerative arthritis from February 19, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, bilateral hip conditions and entitlement to specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant as there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing conditions were aggravated during his period of ACDUTRA.
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.