The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's current osteoarthritis of the left hand, right hand, and right ankle to his active duty service. The Veteran's claims for these conditions were denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his in-service injuries or exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the left hand, osteoarthritis of the right hand, osteoarthritis of the right ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2017
- Citation
- 1700644
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 1700644.
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: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as remanded certain issues.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied higher ratings for the veteran's cervical spine condition but remanded decisions on ankle osteoarthritis, sleep disorder, and TDIU.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims due to the submission of additional evidence and a need for further development. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reconsidered.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to October 28, 2022 is remanded due to the need for additional development and referral to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.
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