The Board denied increased ratings for service-connected residuals of a sprain to the right ring finger, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and traumatic arthritis of the right wrist.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support granting any of the requested increased disability ratings as the conditions were found to be essentially stable with no new or worsening symptoms that would warrant higher evaluations under VA's rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Sprain of the right ring finger, Right carpal tunnel syndrome, Traumatic arthritis of the right wrist
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 1, 2002
- Citation
- 0202021
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 0202021.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome and a TDIU due to PTSD, effective October 25, 2021. SMC was also granted from March 16, 2022.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for brain tumor, prostate cancer, colon cancer, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to inadequate medical opinions regarding toxic exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, OSA, bilateral knee disorders, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and a GI disorder as there was no evidence of these conditions during the appeal period. The claims were denied based on the lack of medical evidence supporting current diagnoses.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disability, diagnosed as valvular heart disease and cardiomyopathy, and left carpal tunnel syndrome but denied service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome.
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