The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of both hands and left thumb are related to his active service.
The deciding factor: A March 2017 VA examination diagnosed degenerative arthritis in these areas, which is considered a separate disability from his already service-connected fibromyalgia. The examiner concluded this condition was not directly related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of Right Hand, Degenerative Arthritis of Left Hand, Degenerative Arthritis of Left Thumb
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 20, 2018
- Citation
- 1810746
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 1810746.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for right and left hip disabilities, as well as her degenerative arthritis of the right hand, was granted. A rating in excess of 20 percent for low back strain is denied. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at a 30 percent since April 2, 2016.
- 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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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