The Board denied service connection for traumatic arthritis of the right hand and right shoulder, finding no evidence that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service, nor any evidence linking them to the veteran's service-connected shell fragment wounds.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners opined that the veteran's degenerative arthritis is likely due to aging and not related to his military service or shrapnel injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic arthritis of the right hand, Traumatic arthritis of the right shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2008
- Citation
- 0814164
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 a 40 percent rating for L4-L5 space narrowing degenerative arthritis prior to January 14, 2025, and denied higher ratings for the other conditions.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran does not now demonstrate chronic arthritis of the right hand and denied service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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.