The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the bilateral hands and other joints, finding no evidence that these conditions were incurred in or related to active service. The TDIU claim was granted as the appellant's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence linking the claimed osteoarthritis to service and concluded that the appellant’s service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis and calcaneal spur, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and right ankle tarsal tunnel syndrome, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine at L4-5, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, Osteoarthritis of the bilateral hands, Osteoarthritis of the left knee, Osteoarthritis of the right knee, Right ankle tarsal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19136467
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · Granted: 23% (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 19136467.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of July 10, 2024 for service connection for PTSD, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease prior to August 1, 2025 was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to March 10, 2025 were denied as there is no neurological impairment associated with these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and lumbar spine disability, as well as left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, were denied. The effective dates for these conditions are also denied.
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