The Board remands the claims for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of both hands to obtain an addendum medical opinion and updated VA treatment records.
The deciding factor: The March 2024 VA medical opinion was found inadequate due to its failure to address the Veteran's lay reports during the examination, including his aching hands during service and other in-service activities that may have contributed to the development of Dupuytren's contracture.
- Claimed conditions
- Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, Dupuytren's contracture of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2025
- Citation
- 25008975
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 10% rating for Dupuytren's contracture of the right hand based on limitation of motion of the thumb, index finger, and long finger from June 1, 2018, through May 23, 2023, but denied ratings in excess of these amounts. The Board also granted a 0% rating for Dupuytren's contracture of the right hand based on limitation of motion of the ring finger and little finger from June 1, 2018, through May 23, 2023, but denied ratings in excess of these amounts. The Board remanded an increased rating claim for lumbosacral spondylosis with lumbar strain.
- 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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