The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for rheumatoid arthritis of the hands and shoulders, as well as his initial rating claim for rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine. The VA found that there was no evidence of any exacerbations or limitations in motion to a compensable degree.
The deciding factor: The VA determined that the veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for an increased rating based on the lack of objective findings supporting more than minimal disability.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of the hands, rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- July 14, 2005
- Citation
- 0519145
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 0519145.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine was granted a 20 percent rating from December 8, 2021, to October 12, 2022, while other claims for increased ratings were denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities prior to December 21, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with the May 2018 remand directives and has ordered additional development to obtain VA treatment records from Allen Park VAMC, Detroit VAMC, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, and any TRICARE records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the knees, ankles, arms, hands, feet, and back is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine, bilateral shoulders, and bilateral wrists. The examiner is asked to provide detailed information about range of motion tests and any additional functional loss due to pain during flare-ups or with repeated use over time.
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