The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate rationale in a VA addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral wrist tendonitis and its relation to service.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for an addendum VA opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran’s bilateral wrist tendonitis, specifically whether it was related to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.
- Claimed conditions
- inflammatory arthritis, bilateral wrist tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18147991
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 18147991.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for inflammatory arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to military sexual trauma with borderline personality disorder. However, the claim for service connection for TBI was denied because there is no medical evidence linking the injury to service.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist disability, diagnosed as bilateral wrist tendonitis and De Quervain's syndrome, based on an in-service injury during active duty.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral wrist conditions, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral wrist tendonitis are related to her active-duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service records and VA treatment records. The inflammatory arthritis claim is being considered on a secondary basis as it may be related to gout. For the leukocyte disorder claim, an additional VA medical opinion is needed to determine if the condition was caused or made worse by VA treatment.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.