The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left ankle, right ankle, left hand, right hand, left knee, and right knee has been granted.,Service connection for osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease of the lower back and neck have also been granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records did not show any complaints or treatment for joint pain during his active service. The first objective indication of osteoarthritis was in 2002, more than three decades after separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of left ankle, Osteoarthritis of right ankle, Osteoarthritis of left hand, Osteoarthritis of right hand, Osteoarthritis of left knee, Osteoarthritis of right knee, Osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease of lower back, Osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease of neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19104574
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,614 · Granted: 35% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19104574.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for left knee joint replacement is denied, and his initial compensable rating for a scar on the left lower extremity is also denied. The Veteran's lumbar spondylosis is rated at 10 percent prior to September 9, 2019, and 30 percent from November 1, 2020. Service connection for hemorrhoids, cataract condition, kidney stones, sleep apnea, ear condition, left ankle conditions, right ankle conditions, and sensorineural hearing loss are all denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right hip and right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service or a service-connected condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder strain with impingement is granted a rating of 20 percent from December 11, 2012. Other service-connected conditions are denied increased ratings.
- Granted
The Veteran's meniscus complications of the right knee are rated at a separate 20% evaluation, and his osteoarthritis of the right knee is rated at 10%. The limitation of extension of the right knee is rated at 30% since August 19, 2016.
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