The Board has denied an evaluation in excess of 40 percent for right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome due to the absence of evidence supporting more than moderate incomplete paralysis.,The Veteran's lumbar spine condition is remanded as a retrospective medical opinion is needed to assess functional loss during flare-ups and estimate additional range of motion loss.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for RSD is remanded as VA has not provided an examination.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support higher ratings due to the absence of severe symptoms such as muscle atrophy or trophic changes, which are required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 8513.,VA examiners were instructed to obtain information from the Veteran regarding flare-ups and provide estimates of additional range of motion loss during these periods. The May 2017 examination report did not meet this requirement.,The evidence does not establish that RSD is related to service or any other service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, Lumbar spine condition (IVDS), Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2024
- Citation
- 24017568
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 24017568.
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 Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome have been denied by the Board. The evidence does not support a finding of severe incomplete paralysis, leading to a rating higher than 40 percent for the right hand or 30 percent for the left hand.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding her degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for right knee chondromalacia medial femoral condyle with acute bursitis, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, and right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome are denied.,The Board found that the supplemental claim received by VA on January 5, 2024 constitutes the date of claim for these conditions. The effective dates cannot be earlier than this date due to the final nature of previous decisions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including consideration of separate ratings for right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome and related conditions such as neuralgia or neuritis.
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