The Board found that the Veteran's current left hand disorder, including Dupuytren's Contracture and osteoarthritis, is not related to service. The condition was diagnosed prior to his military service and there is no evidence of its onset or aggravation during active duty.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's left hand Dupuytren's Contracture clearly existed prior to 1994 training exercise and was not aggravated by any in-service injury, event, or illness.
- Claimed conditions
- left hand arthritis, Dupuytren's Contracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2012
- Citation
- 1234776
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1234776.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for right hand arthritis and left hand arthritis have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for lumbar strain, radiculopathy of the left sciatic nerve, and radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve have been remanded.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal of the proposed reduction in PTSD rating from 70% to 50%, and for service connection claims related to various joints and diabetes mellitus type II, has been dismissed due to procedural issues. The Veteran withdrew his appeals.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if any current left hand disability, including arthritis, is related to an in-service injury or disease.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and chronic sinusitis are not service-connected as there is no evidence of current disabilities.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosed condition of left hand arthritis, right hand arthritis, or shoulder arthritis.
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