The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for DJD of the left hand. The Veteran's right fourth metacarpal disability and tinnitus have been granted, but his claim for DJD of the left hand is being reviewed due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it did not adequately address the Veteran's statement regarding overuse of the left hand due to his service-connected right fourth metacarpal disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Right fourth metacarpal disability status post ORIF, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 1, 2021
- Citation
- A21017600
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 A21017600.
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 determined that the Veteran's current degenerative joint disease of the left hand is not caused by or related to his in-service injury, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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