The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation on account of loss of the left hand is being remanded to evaluate his current neurologic impairment and determine if any effective function remains other than what would be equally well served by an amputation stump with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance.
The deciding factor: The need for further examination to assess the veteran's current neurological condition and its impact on left hand functionality is identified as the deciding factor.
- Claimed conditions
- syringomyelia, syringobulbia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2000
- Citation
- 0003325
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 0003325.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development to address whether the Veteran's acquired neurological disorder, including Arnold Chiari malformation and syringomyelia, is related to his service. The muscle inflammation claim due to Persian Gulf service is also being remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for syringomyelia and associated residuals, including sleep apnea, was granted with an effective date of April 25, 2005.,Service connection for voiding dysfunction and bowel dysfunction (associated with syringomyelia) was also granted with an effective date of January 1, 2008.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including right and left leg disabilities, central neuropathic pain, chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), syringomyelia, chronic constipation, takotsubo cardiomyopathy, deep vein thrombosis of the left leg, and functional dextroscoliosis and thoracic kyphosis have all been denied.,The Board found that there is no medical evidence showing a nexus between any of these conditions and the Veteran's service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a separate 30 percent rating for syringomyelia, but the claims for higher ratings for cervical spine degenerative arthritis and for separate or compensable ratings for sinus conditions were denied.
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