The Board denied earlier effective dates for the award of service connection for various hip, knee, and ankle disabilities as no claims were filed prior to March 1, 2007.

The deciding factor: No formal or informal communication in writing requesting a determination of entitlement or evidencing a belief in entitlement to service connection for these conditions was received prior to the March 1, 2007 claim on appeal.

Claimed conditions

right hip limitation of flexion, right hip limitation of extension, right hip limitation of abduction and adduction, left hip limitation of flexion, left hip limitation of extension, left hip limitation of abduction and adduction, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right ankle tendonitis, left ankle tendonitis

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

October 21, 2025

Citation

A25090503

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