The Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine, shoulders, knees, and ankles have been denied. The Veteran was granted a compensable rating for his left foot status post fracture of the third toe.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis in these areas.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine, rheumatoid arthritis of the shoulders, rheumatoid arthritis of the knees, rheumatoid arthritis of the ankles
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2015
- Citation
- 1536684
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1536684.
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: Partly granted
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine was granted a 20 percent rating from December 8, 2021, to October 12, 2022, while other claims for increased ratings were denied.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability did not render him unemployable prior to January 15, 2016. The Board found that his other conditions and work history precluded him from obtaining substantially gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities prior to December 21, 2017.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with the May 2018 remand directives and has ordered additional development to obtain VA treatment records from Allen Park VAMC, Detroit VAMC, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, and any TRICARE records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the knees, ankles, arms, hands, feet, and back is remanded.
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