The Board granted service connection for arthritis of the left thumb, finding that it was incurred in service. The other issues (tinea pedis and a skin condition) were not addressed due to remand.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner linked the veteran's left thumb arthritis to an inservice shrapnel injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the left thumb
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2002
- Citation
- 0217561
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 0217561.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for arthritis of the left thumb was dismissed as she stated satisfaction with the current rating.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings from March 6, 2020, for DDD of the lumbar spine, plantar fasciitis of the bilateral feet, and migraine headaches were also dismissed due to her satisfaction with the current ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for DDD of the lumbar spine, migraine headaches, left thumb arthritis and bilateral plantar fasciitis are remanded due to her inability to attend recent VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial claims for increased ratings have been denied as her arthritis of the thumbs, index fingers, long fingers, ring fingers, and little fingers do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes. The Veteran's arthritis of the right knee and feet were also found to not warrant an increase in rating.,The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome has been remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for arthritis of the left elbow, right elbow, left thumb, right thumb, cervical spine, and lumbar spine as well as seasonal allergic rhinitis due to potential CBRNE exposure during service. The Veteran will be provided with VA examinations to evaluate his claimed disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.