The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left hand, right hand, and left wrist disabilities secondary to the service-connected right wrist disability. The Veteran's right wrist disability is currently rated as 10% disabling from January 3, 2013 to February 13, 2013 due to a temporary total rating based on convalescence following surgery. For the period prior to and after this date, the Veteran’s right wrist disability is not entitled to an increased rating.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support findings of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes that would warrant higher ratings under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine or IVDS formula. The Veteran's service-connected right wrist disability is currently rated as 10% disabling.
- Claimed conditions
- right wrist disability, thoracolumbar spine strain (thoracolumbar spine disability), patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right knee (right knee disability), patellofemoral pain syndrome of the left knee (left knee disability), residuals of open reduction and internal fixation of a fibula fracture of the right ankle (right ankle disability)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20077895
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 20077895.
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 has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, left knee, right knee, right wrist, headaches, and sleep disturbances as there is no persuasive evidence of current disabilities during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been received for the Veteran's claims of lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, RLE sciatica, LLE sciatica, right wrist disability, left wrist disability, hypothyroidism, alopecia, and solar urticaria. These claims are being remanded to allow for further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her appeals for the service connection of multiple conditions, including low back disability, bilateral foot disability, cervical spine disability, migraines, right hand and shoulder disabilities, right wrist disability, asthma (claimed as Gulf War Syndrome), chronic fatigue syndrome, dysmenorrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and sleep disability. As a result, these claims are dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claims of service connection for right and left wrist disabilities, including carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis, need further examination and opinion to determine if they are related to service or service-connected conditions.
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