The Board found that the Veteran's current left wrist disability is not related to his in-service surgery and denied service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that there was no evidence of any ligamentous instability following the 1972 ganglionectomy, and the Veteran did not present for care for his left wrist again until 35 years after military service. The examiner concluded it is more likely that repetitive use or a pre-service injury resulted in the current condition.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist instability, advanced osteoarthritis, calcification of wrist ligaments
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 3, 2017
- Citation
- 1731248
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 1731248.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was granted, while the claims for left ear hearing loss, left wrist instability, and right wrist instability were denied or remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's left wrist, left and right heels disabilities are rated at 10 percent each. The Board denied increased ratings for these conditions as the evidence did not show functional impairment comparable to ankylosis of the wrists or marked limitation of motion of the ankles.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left wrist disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination for his feet and nasal septum, scheduling the Veteran for a Travel Board hearing, and completing any other necessary development.
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