The Board has granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the bilateral ankles, finding that it is related to the Veteran's service-connected right wrist disability. The decision is based on a relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether the current diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is due to silicone implants surgically inserted during treatment for his service-connected right wrist disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was in relative equipoise, with both positive and negative opinions supporting the Veteran's claim.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of the bilateral ankles
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20058335
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 20058335.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded 10 issues related to tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, psoriasis, and various forms of rheumatoid arthritis due to the lack of service treatment records. The RO is instructed to attempt to locate these records through multiple avenues.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations for his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis was denied. The effective date of the deconstructed ratings remains March 31, 2007.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
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