The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the right middle finger and a right index finger disability, claimed as right hand arthritis, were not incurred in or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show any event or injury in service. The absence of complaints of osteoarthritis for many years after discharge from service is highly probative against the Veteran's claim.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the right middle finger, right index finger disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2010
- Citation
- 1032496
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 1032496.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding that the evidence did not support a higher or compensable rating for any of the conditions on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, left foot, right foot, right index finger, and right shoulder disabilities, as well as fatigue claimed under the PACT Act, due to a need for in-person VA examinations and medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for higher ratings and TDIU due to incomplete VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, and disabilities affecting each finger as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, including exposure to toxic exposure risk activities (TERAs).
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