The Board finds that the veteran's arthritis of the hands is as likely as not due to military service, but his other joint conditions are not related to his active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that some changes in the joints of the hands were related to service and cold exposure, and as likely as not related to cold injury as they are to obesity, diabetes, and age.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the neck, arthritis of the back, arthritis of the feet, arthritis of the ankles, arthritis of the shoulders, arthritis of the arms and hands
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2004
- Citation
- 0415960
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,175 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0415960.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in obtaining service records and a need for a VA examination to determine if any current foot disorders are related to service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability is remanded due to the need for an orthopedic examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of his claimed condition. The examiner must identify each diagnosed back disability entity, its likely etiology, and whether it is at least as likely as not related to service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's arthritis of the back is granted service connection based on continuity of symptomatology.,Service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is granted due to its presumptive relationship as a qualifying chronic disability under Persian Gulf War criteria.,Service connection for a skin disability, manifested by rashes of the hands and feet, is granted based on continuity of symptoms since service.,Service connection for a gynecological disability, residuals of hysterectomy, is granted based on continuity of symptoms since service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the back and remanded the TDIU claim prior to February 18, 2021.
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