The Board denied service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a TBI. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for allergic rhinitis, right ankle scar associated with ganglion cyst in the soft tissue of the ankle with tenosynovitis, left upper extremity scars associated with post traumatic changes of the left thumb, and post traumatic changes of the left thumb were also denied. Some issues related to service connection have been remanded for further consideration.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a current diagnosis or nexus between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), allergic rhinitis, right ankle scar associated with ganglion cyst in the soft tissue of the ankle with tenosynovitis, left upper extremity scars associated with post traumatic changes of the left thumb, post traumatic changes of the left thumb, ganglion cyst in the soft tissue of the right ankle with tenosynovitis, anxiety, right knee disability, left knee disability, sleep apnea, to include as secondary to service-connected left upper extremity scars associated with post traumatic changes of the left thumb and service-connected right ankle scar associated with ganglion cyst in the soft tissue of the ankle with tenosynovitis, tension headaches, joint pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2025
- Citation
- A25050676
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 service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine pain, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent yeast infections. The claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder and left knee pain were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
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