The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for arthritis of the right wrist and epicondylitis of the right elbow were denied by the Board. The Veteran is currently rated 10% for his right elbow condition, but seeks a higher rating. For his right wrist condition, he was previously rated 30%, but now seeks an increase.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support the need for ratings in excess of those assigned.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the right wrist, Epicondylitis of the right elbow
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2012
- Citation
- 1228603
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 1228603.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's right wrist disability, which includes numbness, swelling, locking, tremors, reduced grip strength, and stomach upset due to arthritis, has been granted an extraschedular rating.
- Granted
Service connection is granted for thrombosis of the left axillary and subclavian vein. The Board also finds that service connection is warranted for degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, left ankle, left shoulder, right shoulder, epicondylitis of the left elbow, epicondylitis of the right elbow, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine. Service connection was not granted for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, left lower extremity, right upper extremity, or left upper extremity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for arthritis of the right wrist due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for a retrospective medical opinion regarding functional loss during flare-ups.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right wrist and thumb disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of more than two inches gap between the thumb pad and fingers, thus denying any higher rating.
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