The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an examination to determine if his right hand/wrist disability was caused by the carpal tunnel release surgery or a delay in follow-up treatment.
The deciding factor: An addendum opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran’s additional injury to his right wrist and hand, diagnosed as palmar cutaneous neuroma and median neuritis with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, is due to either the September 4, 2009 carpal tunnel release surgery or a two-week delay in follow-up treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- palmar cutaneous neuroma, median neuritis with reflex sympathetic dystrophy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20068498
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 the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. §1151 for additional disability of his right hand due to a carpal tunnel release surgery, finding that the Veteran was appropriately informed about the risks and that the additional disability was a known complication of the procedure.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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