The Board has determined that the Veteran's generalized joint disease (to include the elbows, wrists, knees, feet, and hands) is not related to her active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examination did not find any link between the Veteran's generalized joint disease and her military service, as it was diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus which has no known risk factors or triggers related to her service in Southwest Asia.
- Claimed conditions
- generalized joint disease (to include the elbows, wrists, knees, feet, and hands), systemic lupus erythematosus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 25, 2017
- Citation
- 1718278
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 1718278.
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 has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate development of her exposure history and lack of adequate medical opinions. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and systemic lupus erythematosus as there was no evidence of onset during active service or etiological relationship to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Dismissed
The appeal of entitlement to an increased disability rating for lupus was dismissed due to the Veteran attempting to appeal a deferral, which cannot be appealed.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a left hamstring disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and various other disabilities. The claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, acquired psychiatric, systemic lupus erythematosus, lumbar spine, right shoulder, right hip, left knee, right knee, and bilateral shin splints were remanded.
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.