The Veteran's service connection claims for left hand arthritis, right knee arthritis, and variously diagnosed low back disability are all granted. The right knee arthritis is linked to his in-service meniscus tear. The left hand arthritis is considered secondary to the service-connected third metacarpal scar. The left knee and low back disabilities are not shown to be directly related to service.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion established a link between the Veteran's right knee disability, specifically the torn medial meniscus sustained in service, and his current arthritis. For the left hand arthritis, it was determined that the condition is secondary to the service-connected third metacarpal scar. The left knee and low back disabilities were not shown to be directly related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- left hand arthritis, right knee arthritis, left knee disability (arthritis), low back disability (variously diagnosed)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2010
- Citation
- 1040729
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 1040729.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection for the claimed conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right hand arthritis to obtain a new VA medical opinion addressing the Veteran's disability under a presumption of soundness.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his current conditions and his military service.
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