The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of lumbar spine, arthritis of left knee, trochanteric bursitis of left hip, trochanteric bursitis of right hip, and hypertension. The Board found no evidence to support a direct link between these conditions and her military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs do not show any chronic or recurrent back pain during service, and the medical records post-service did not establish a nexus between her current conditions and her military service.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of lumbar spine (also claimed as osteoporosis/osteopenia of back), arthritis, left knee, trochanteric bursitis, left hip, trochanteric bursitis, right hip, hypertension (claimed as HBP), cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2026
- Citation
- A26035317
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A26035317.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee arthritis, finding that it was aggravated by active duty. The preexisting condition worsened during service and is now considered service-connected.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart condition, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected PTSD.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for cardiomyopathy and hypertension due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in the April 2025 rating decision. The issues are being remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician.
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