The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis and posttraumatic arthritis of the right ankle, as well as rheumatoid arthritis of the bilateral knees and shoulders. Service connection was denied for osteoarthritis of the left ankle and wrists.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current diagnoses are consistent with his in-service complaints and he has provided credible testimony regarding the progression of his symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of bilateral knees, posttraumatic arthritis of right ankle, rheumatoid arthritis of bilateral knees, rheumatoid arthritis of bilateral ankles, rheumatoid arthritis of bilateral shoulders, osteoarthritis of left ankle, osteoarthritis of bilateral wrists
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20069124
Veterans Law Judge
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 20069124.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine, bilateral shoulders, and bilateral wrists. The examiner is asked to provide detailed information about range of motion tests and any additional functional loss due to pain during flare-ups or with repeated use over time.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of bilateral knees, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his current condition and his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his left ankle osteoarthritis was denied, as the current 10% rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition based on limited motion.
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