The Board has granted service connection for right and left hand disabilities, diagnosed as arthritis, both of which had their onset during active duty.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records show the Veteran reported having a fracture in his left hand prior to service. The VA examiners concluded that these conditions are more likely related to natural aging processes rather than service-connected injuries or exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hand Arthritis, Left Hand Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20073458
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.
- Partly granted
The appeal was dismissed for the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, and service connection for migraine headaches was restored. Several claims for service connection were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right and left hip arthritis, right and left hand arthritis, right and left shoulder arthritis, cervical spine arthritis, and lumbar spine arthritis. The claims for right knee, left knee, right ankle, left ankle, right foot, and left foot arthritis were remanded.
- Granted
The petition to reopen the claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, right hand arthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis is granted. The Board has decided that a new opinion is needed regarding the relationship between these conditions and military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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