The Board has denied service connection for a left thumb strain and remanded the issue of service connection for a right hand or finger disability due to lack of nexus between current symptoms and active duty.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no medical evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to her military service, including in-service typing on a computer keyboard which she claimed as causing her left thumb strain. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not report any right hand or finger issues until after leaving active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- left thumb strain, right hand or finger disability (tendinosis in hand or fingers, right)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26038131
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 A26038131.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for thoracolumbar strain, right knee strain, left knee strain, left thumb strain, left index finger strain, left middle finger strain, left ring finger strain, left little finger strain, right thumb strain, right index finger strain, right middle finger strain, and right ring finger strain as they are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right and left thumb strain as there was no evidence of a chronic disability in service or within one year following discharge, and the current conditions were not shown to be related to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected left thumb strain and left groin strain due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating based on his current symptoms.
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