The Board has determined that the Veteran's arthritis of multiple joints, to include bilateral ankles and elbows, does not meet the criteria for service connection. However, the Board has found that the Veteran's arthritis of the left and right shoulders was incurred during active duty.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records document incidents where the Veteran sustained injuries to his shoulder and elbow areas, which were later associated with current diagnoses of osteoarthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of multiple joints, to include bilateral ankles and elbows, Arthritis of the bilateral shoulders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2018
- Citation
- 1805393
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 1805393.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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 that a disability rating greater than 50 percent for other specified trauma and stress-related disorder is denied, service connection for arthritis of the bilateral knees, shoulders, hands, hips, elbows, and ankles is granted, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The issue of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder has been remanded.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that arthritis of the bilateral hands and arthritis of the bilateral shoulders are not related to active service, thus denying these claims.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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.