The Veteran's service-connected right hand and fourth finger disabilities are not the cause of his current right wrist disability, but it is possible that compensating for the weakness in his hand by using his wrist over the years may have aggravated his right wrist.
The deciding factor: The examiner concluded that the claimed condition was less likely than not incurred in or caused by the claimed in-service injury, event or illness due to the Veteran's manual labor following military discharge being more likely the reason for his current hand and wrist DJD.
- Claimed conditions
- right flexor carpi radialis tenosynovitis, degenerative arthritis of the right hand with pain or reduced strength, limitation of motion of the right fourth finger, and scars of the right finger status post laceration and fracture
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2017
- Citation
- 1709139
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 1709139.
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.
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- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service connected due to his fear of hostile military activity during his Vietnam service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune during service.
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