The Board has granted service connection for bilateral upper extremities frostbite residuals, including hand disability (cubital tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuritis), but denied service connection for a back disability. The Veteran's bilateral lower extremities frostbite residuals are also granted.,Service connection is established for bilateral upper extremities frostbite residuals due to exposure to cold during active duty at Fort Drum in the early 1980s, which resulted in cubital tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuritis of the hands. Service connection is also established for bilateral lower extremities frostbite residuals due to cold exposure during service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current diagnoses of cubital tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuritis of the bilateral upper extremities, including hands, are related to his in-service exposure to cold at Fort Drum, which resulted in significant cold-induced vasodilation causing chronic ulnar neuropathy.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability, Bilateral Upper Extremities Frostbite Residuals (including bilateral hand disability), Bilateral Lower Extremities Frostbite Residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2017
- Citation
- 1734220
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 1734220.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disability, back disability, and left elbow disability must be remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran provided lay reports of symptoms but the VA examiners did not consider these reports in their conclusions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right eye, left eye, left knee, and back disabilities due to conflicting statements from the Veteran and inconsistencies in his medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that the current condition is not related to service.
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