The Board has determined that the Veteran's current osteoarthritis of the right hand first manifested during service or within one year after discharge, and there is no evidence to suggest it is not related to his military service. As such, he is granted service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows that the Veteran has had symptoms in both hands since at least 1993, which aligns with when he was first discharged from active duty in 1995. The VA examiners' opinions support a finding of direct service connection based on continuity of symptomatology.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the right hand, osteoarthritis of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 4, 2010
- Citation
- 1016499
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 1016499.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims due to the submission of additional evidence and a need for further development. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reconsidered.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, including chest wall discomfort and osteoarthritis of the left hand. The case is being remanded for an addendum medical opinion addressing the combined effects of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his occupational functioning.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left hand, effective January 28, 2019. The earlier effective dates for arthritis of the left index finger and ring fingers were also granted.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the right hand and left hand, finding that the Veteran's prolonged use of a cane due to his service-connected knees and right ankle disabilities caused or aggravated his bilateral hand osteoarthritis.
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