Wrist & hand decisions — 2000

The veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral wrist disability is denied. The Board finds that the veteran has a current left knee disability related to his military service and grants service connection for it, with an initial evaluation of 20%. The veteran's onychomycosis does not meet criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's left wrist disability and declined to reopen his claim of service connection for a left knee disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are not well-grounded, as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service or any service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the preponderance of evidence is against the current assignment of a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right carpal tunnel syndrome, and compensable evaluations for hemorrhoids, chronic low back strain with early degenerative changes, and Crohn's disease and hiatal hernia with chest pain are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of Bell's palsy, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking his current carpal tunnel syndrome to the in-service occurrence of treatment for Bell's palsy.

The Board has granted service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome and determined the propriety of a 10 percent initial rating for ptosis of the left upper eyelid. The veteran's claim was reopened based on new evidence, leading to these determinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and to reopen his claim for service connection for a back disorder, as well as his claims for cold injury residuals of both lower extremities and gunshot wound residuals of the left wrist.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected conditions do not warrant an increased evaluation. The left axillary lipoma is rated as 10 percent disabling due to pain, but no functional impairment. The laceration of the left wrist does not result in any functional impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, restoration of a 30 percent evaluation for asthma with bronchitis, and increases in evaluations for his nervous condition and right wrist reflex sympathetic dystrophy. The RO proposed to reduce the veteran's 30 percent evaluation for asthma with bronchitis from October 1, 1989, but the veteran did not contest this reduction.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left wrist fracture does not warrant an increased evaluation beyond the current 10 percent rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no medical evidence linking his hip condition to his service-connected disabilities. The knee and wrist conditions were also found not well-grounded.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the left hand and has restored a 30 percent evaluation for his postoperative left shoulder disability.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for residuals of the left wrist fracture (minor) and denied restoration of that rating.

The Board found that the veteran's left wrist scar is painful and tender on examination, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 10 percent under the applicable VA rating schedule. The issue of assigning separate compensable ratings based on limitation of function such as limitation of motion was also addressed.

The veteran's claim for an extension of a temporary total rating based on convalescence due to right carpal tunnel syndrome is denied as there is no medical evidence demonstrating severe post-operative residuals beyond October 31, 1995.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of service connection for right knee arthritis and right wrist arthritis are not well-grounded. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right fifth finger disarticulation and right carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any service-connected disability to his death.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection were not well-grounded and denied them.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for residuals of a left wrist injury, finding that the additional evidence did not establish a chronic disability related to the in-service injury.