The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psoriatic arthritis and its relationship to his carpal tunnel syndrome and right ulnar neuropathy/cubital tunnel syndrome. Additional medical records are needed, as well as an addendum opinion from a VA physician.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing opinions were inadequate due to their reliance on the absence of documented treatment for psoriatic arthritis in service without considering the Veteran's duties as a boatswain’s mate and its potential impact on his current disability.
- Claimed conditions
- psoriatic arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, right ulnar neuropathy/cubital tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181766
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, right hip degenerative joint disease and rheumatoid arthritis with acetabular cyst status post right total hip replacement, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, hypertension, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, fever sores, and a compromised immune system, as the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a left upper extremity condition, claimed as a left shoulder condition, to schedule a VA examination and obtain an opinion on whether the condition is related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for revision of an April 24, 1996, rating decision that denied service connection for psoriasis on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a right wrist condition, to include carpal tunnel syndrome, based on the Veteran's credible reports of pain and weakness since service.
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