Wrist & hand decisions — 2026

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and bilateral wrist and hand rheumatoid arthritis, finding that the conditions are secondary to service-connected asthma and in-service hand injuries, respectively.

The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that they are not related to active duty service or any period of ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA service. The appellant's claims are based on secondary service connection due to a non-service-connected condition (Lyme disease), but the evidence does not support this claim.

The Board has denied service connection for upper back, cervical spine, right ankle, left ankle, right hip, left hip, right wrist, and left knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence establishing an in-service injury or disease that caused the current conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not show a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral wrist disability is denied as there is no persuasive evidence linking his current wrist condition to his military service.

The Veteran's left wrist disability and cervical spine disability are granted as service-connected. The left wrist disability is considered to have begun during service, while the cervical spine disability became manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors, including inadequate medical opinions and incomplete toxic exposure documentation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea were denied. The claim for headaches, bilateral wrist condition, right shoulder disorder, and sinusitis was granted.,Service connection is established for headaches, bilateral wrist condition, right shoulder disorder, and sinusitis.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for GERD, higher ratings for lumbar spine and right wrist disabilities, and ED. The Veteran's ED is found to be caused by his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's chronic left wrist sprain, thoracic disability, and bilateral ulnar neuritis have been granted service connection as they are related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various ankle, knee, shoulder, and wrist conditions due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to a failure to provide a VA examination and notify the Veteran of missing records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral eye disability, left hand/wrist disability (including Dequervain's tenosynovitis), and right hand/wrist disability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee, right knee, left shoulder, right shoulder, lumbar spine, and right wrist conditions. The claims of entitlement to service connection for a skin condition and left eardrum rupture are being remanded.

The Veteran's effective date for the grant of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and right wrist sprain is set at January 31, 2020. The Board found that a direct nexus to service was factually ascertainable.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error regarding the Veteran's statements about increased pain and discomfort during deployment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral wrist and elbow scars, which are secondary to his surgical procedure to treat his service-connected carpel tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted due to lack of ankylosis or additional functional loss.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left wrist condition and left wrist nerve condition, finding that these conditions were aggravated by service. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome in both upper extremities due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the condition.

The Board has dismissed all appeals as the appellant or their representative withdrew all pending claims.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain has been granted an initial 40 percent rating, effective May 29, 2020. Service connection for right shoulder tendinopathy, left shoulder interstitial tear of the teres minor tendon, and right wrist sprain/degenerative arthritis have also been granted.