The Board denied claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, hands, and ankles, as well as a claim for an increased rating for rheumatoid arthritis of the right little finger. The veteran's arthritis is found to be due to his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not find any evidence linking degenerative arthritis to service or service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the spine, degenerative arthritis of the hands, degenerative arthritis of the ankles, rheumatoid arthritis of the right little finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 20, 2000
- Citation
- 0016379
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0016379.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a deviated septum and right wrist pain, while denying service connection for sleep apnea. The decision also addressed various rating issues and effective dates.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left hand and right hand essential tremors, as well as increased ratings for knee instability, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle. The appeal was denied for a left ankle disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development to clarify the Veteran's employment status during the appeal period and determine if a TDIU is warranted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral foot pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine to obtain additional medical evidence.
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