The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracic/lumbar spine and arthritis in multiple areas, including left buttock, left foot, right fingers, left fingers, right wrist, left thigh, and left forearm. The decision is based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected photodermatitis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative changes in multiple areas are not due to her service-connected skin disorder (photodermatitis) but rather due to wear and tear of the joints, which worsen with activity. The VHA opinion concluded that neither the Veteran’s degenerative disc disease nor arthritis in other multiple areas had its onset during service or until many years later.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the thoracic/lumbar spine, Arthritis of the left buttock, Arthritis of the left foot, Arthritis of the right fingers, Arthritis of the left fingers, Arthritis of the right wrist, Arthritis of the left thigh, Arthritis of the left forearm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19103946
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,199 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103946.
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: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine, right ankle, left ankle, and left foot on a presumptive basis due to continuous symptoms since service separation.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board readjudicated the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a respiratory disability, and a skin disability based on new and relevant evidence. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disability, sleep impairment, hypertension, impaired vision, residual disability from vasectomy, and a compensable rating for scars were denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's right wrist disability, which includes numbness, swelling, locking, tremors, reduced grip strength, and stomach upset due to arthritis, has been granted an extraschedular rating.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for arthritis of the right wrist due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for a retrospective medical opinion regarding functional loss during flare-ups.
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