The Board denied service connection for arthritis, finding that the evidence did not show it preexisted service or was incurred during active duty. The Veteran's arthritis is attributed to age-related osteoarthritis rather than service.
The deciding factor: There is no clear and unmistakable evidence showing arthritis existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service. The Board found no credible evidence of continuity of symptoms since service, and the VA examiner opined that the arthritis is due to age-related osteoarthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21023217
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 21023217.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to DIC due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion prior to the rating decision on appeal regarding whether the Veteran's arthritis was related to his period of active service, and if so, whether it contributed to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his diagnosed conditions, including mental health disorders, gastrointestinal issues, respiratory problems, arthritis, neuropathy, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and headaches. The examination will also address whether any of these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as a sleep deprivation condition) have been granted service connection. The claim for arthritis has been remanded.
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