Wrist & hand decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for a nerve disability affecting the left upper extremity to obtain an addendum opinion addressing its etiology.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for bilateral knee joint pain and bilateral wrist joint pain as there was no appealable decision in the August 2023 rating decision.

The Board granted service connection for right and left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's current carpal tunnel syndrome is related to his duties as a mechanic during service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support a higher disability rating or service connection for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, left wrist disability, hypertension, headaches, thoracolumbar spine (back) disability, right hand disability (also claimed as tingling), left ankle disability, and right ankle disability.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension due to in-service exposure to lead. The claims for cervical neck strain with degenerative changes and radiculopathy, right hand arthritis, left hand arthritis, a right hand neurological condition, including carpal tunnel syndrome, and a left hand neurological condition, including carpal tunnel syndrome, were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for athlete's foot, right wrist condition, and sleep apnea to provide a medical examination and opinion under the PACT Act.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right wrist disorder, left foot disorder, and right foot disorder as additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.

The Board remands the claims for additional development to ensure compliance with previous remand instructions, specifically addressing the Veteran's lay statements and considering the lack of documented treatment in service.

The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including left eye cataract, heart disability, hypertension, bilateral peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, and bilateral hand disability (neuropathy and/or carpal tunnel syndrome), due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral congenital arm and wrist deformity disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation related to the Veteran's service.

The Board denied service connection for allergic rhinitis, left-wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and sinusitis as there was no evidence of a current disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right popliteal neuropathy, including consideration of in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, thoracolumbar spine disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and right wrist disability.

The Board granted a 50 percent rating for right carpal tunnel syndrome and a 20 percent rating for left carpal tunnel syndrome, effective August 2, 2023.

The appeal for service connection for a bilateral wrist disability was dismissed as the issue was not ripe at the time of the appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates, as well as remanded one claim for further development.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for various joint conditions, cervical spine arthritis, lumbosacral spine arthritis, and radiculopathy of the upper extremities to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right ankle gout, but no higher; denied ratings in excess of 20 percent for the same conditions. It also granted a 10 percent disability rating for left and right wrist gout, but no higher.

The Board granted a 100 percent evaluation for the service-connected depressive disorder and denied an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for the right shoulder strain, while remanding claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome and TDIU.