The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left wrist and hand disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show ankylosis or other factors that would warrant a higher rating than 10 percent for the left wrist disability. For the fingers, there was no evidence of ankylosis or amputation to support a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist, retained metal fragment with De Quervain's tenosynovitis, arthritis of the left little finger, arthritis of the left ring finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25110217
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 869 · Granted: 44% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25110217.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claim for a back disability and his initial compensable evaluation claim for arthritis of the left little finger were both denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of a back disability, and there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that any current arthritis of the left little finger is related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the left little finger and a dental condition have been remanded due to inadequate compliance with previous Board directives. The VA is required to provide additional medical opinions that address the nature and etiology of these conditions, including consideration of relevant lay and medical evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left hand, effective January 28, 2019. The earlier effective dates for arthritis of the left index finger and ring fingers were also granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are remanded due to the need for updated examinations and consideration of all his symptoms. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with his current increased rating claims.
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