The Board denied higher initial ratings for left and right wrist tenosynovitis but granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding of ankylosis or its functional equivalent, while the Veteran's lay statements supported a direct link between his in-service symptoms and current sleep apnea, leading to a grant of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist tenosynovitis, right wrist tenosynovitis, obstructive sleep apnea (sleep apnea)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- May 19, 2025
- Citation
- A25044735
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied an effective date prior to September 13, 2012, for the award of a separate compensable rating for left wrist tenosynovitis.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for several conditions, granted a 20 percent rating for chronic fatigue syndrome and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis, but denied higher ratings for other conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the untimely submission of a notice of disagreement within one year of the May 2014 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of service connection for sleep apnea to ensure a complete record and due process, specifically requesting an examination that considers all applicable military deployments and TERAs.
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