The Board has granted service connection for right and left thumb osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service as a helicopter pilot.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral thumb arthritis is related to his time working as a helicopter pilot during service, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- right thumb osteoarthritis, left thumb osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2026
- Citation
- A26022360
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 A26022360.
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 remands the case for further development and readjudication of the veteran's claims.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for left elbow degenerative joint disease was dismissed due to improper concurrent elections, while the claims for left thumb pain, right thumb osteoarthritis, and right elbow degenerative joint disease were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a duty to assist error, requiring additional development and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings on several musculoskeletal and neurological disabilities are remanded due to the need for new VA examinations.
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