Wrist & hand decisions — 2026

The Veteran's left wrist condition is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.,Service connection has been granted for back, left elbow, and left shoulder conditions as secondary to his service-connected fracture of the left humerus.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, GERD, right ankle strain, left ankle strain, low back condition, and sinusitis due to unclear etiology and internal inconsistencies in previous examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease with diastolic dysfunction, status post valve replacement and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible lay statements of symptoms during service and subsequent diagnoses.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist condition and for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support the Veteran's assertions of current disabilities or in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a spine disability, left ankle disability, left shoulder condition, and left wrist disability, require additional development due to procedural errors in obtaining medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for hearing loss, and the initial compensable ratings for left foot and right foot surgical scars were also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, sinusitis, tachycardia, hypothyroidism, skin cancer, and carpal tunnel syndrome due to service connection issues. The Veteran's obesity is a potential intermediary step in some of these theories.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to incomplete records and duty-to-assist errors. The VA is required to obtain relevant SSA records, as well as provide an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed stressors and psychiatric disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his claimed left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome and left wrist condition, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service disease or injury related to these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for their right thumb disability, bilateral pes planus, spondylolisthesis (back disability), residual arthritis of the left wrist, radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve of the right and left lower extremities, and laceration scar of the third digit of the right hand. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Board denied a TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities not preventing him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right wrist tendinopathy does not warrant an increased evaluation beyond the current 10 percent rating, as there is no evidence of worsening or increase in severity. The maximum schedular rating for this condition is already assigned.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are not fully addressed due to inadequate examinations, and thus these issues must be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions addressing the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal of several service connection claims has been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the right ankle disorder claim. The remaining claims have been remanded for further development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions for readjudication of his previously denied claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity and left upper extremity, as well as degenerative arthritis. The decision is based on new evidence submitted by the Veteran that supports a finding of in-service onset and continuity of symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral hand carpal tunnel syndrome due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not obtaining updated VA treatment records. The RO is also required to obtain new medical opinions addressing all toxic exposure risk activities, including asbestos exposure, and whether the Veteran's symptoms represent an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's right hand weakness and right wrist disability have been granted service connection, with a rating of 30 percent for the right wrist disability as of September 21, 2014, through September 28, 2015. The Veteran has also been granted TDIU from September 1, 2015, to April 27, 2022.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is rated at a 60 percent rating, effective February 28, 2023. Effective the same date, SMC based on loss of use of his hand was also granted.

The Board has identified several duty-to-assist errors and is remanding the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records, lack of proper notification, and inadequate examinations.