The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his service and have denied all of his claims for service connection.,Specifically, the Board found no evidence of rheumatoid arthritis or tendinopathy in service and concluded that these conditions did not start during service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA examiners indicated that there is no link between the Veteran's current diagnoses (rheumatoid arthritis, tendinopathy, degenerative joint disease) and his active service. The long lapse of time since separation from service makes it unlikely that any conditions are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of the upper back, rheumatoid arthritis of the low back, degenerative changes, to include narrowing of the intervertebral disc space, of the lumbar spine, rheumatoid arthritis of the arms, rheumatoid arthritis of the right leg, to include the right knee, rheumatoid arthritis of the right ankle, rheumatoid arthritis of the left ankle, rheumatoid arthritis of the right shoulder, rheumatoid arthritis of the left shoulder, tendinopathy of the right shoulder, tendinopathy of the left shoulder, mild degenerative joint disease of the right elbow, mild degenerative joint disease of the left elbow
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2011
- Citation
- 1145444
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 1145444.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of various body parts due to in-service exposure to hazardous materials, as an addendum opinion is needed.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the hands, feet, and left ankle based on a nexus to in-service injuries.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of rheumatoid arthritis of the left shoulder, right shoulder, left hip, and left knee due to his withdrawal of the appeal.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal is denied for evaluations in excess of 10 percent for rheumatoid arthritis of the left (minor) elbow, prior to July 24, 2020; and for rheumatoid arthritis of the right (major) elbow, since July 24, 2020. The appeal is also denied for evaluations in excess of 10 percent for rheumatoid arthritis of other joints including left shoulder, wrist, foot, knee, ankle, hip.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.