The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis of the shoulders, knees, elbows, hands, feet, and neck was not incurred or aggravated during his period of active military service. The claim is therefore denied.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing a causal relationship between the Veteran's current rheumatoid arthritis and his active military service.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of the shoulders, rheumatoid arthritis of the knees, rheumatoid arthritis of the elbows, rheumatoid arthritis of the hands, rheumatoid arthritis of the feet, rheumatoid arthritis of the neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 23, 2016
- Citation
- 1633388
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 1633388.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for shoulders and neck disabilities, as there was a failure to provide notice of the right to a hearing before the AOJ.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the hands, feet, and left ankle based on a nexus to in-service injuries.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as his claim for increased ratings. The case will be returned to the Board after this development.
- 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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