Wrist & hand decisions — 2000

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches and assigned a 10 percent rating effective from August 3, 2000. The other claims of service connection remain pending.

The Board has determined that an increased rating for the veteran's kyphotic deformity of the thoracolumbar juncture with osteophyte formation at T-11 level and residuals of a fracture of the right wrist navicular bone is not warranted. The veteran received the maximum 10 percent evaluation for each condition.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic sinusitis and migraine headaches, finding that these conditions are attributable to service. The claims for right knee condition, left wrist pain, and left shoulder pain were denied as the evidence does not show a current disability or link to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right wrist and bilateral elbow disorders, finding that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation than the current 10 percent ratings.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left wrist disorder, which includes a fracture and degenerative arthritis, warrants only a 10 percent evaluation. The evidence does not support an increase in this rating.

The Board dismissed the appeals of the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension and entitlement to TDIU due to failure to file a timely substantive appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right wrist synovitis, joint and muscle pains due to an undiagnosed illness, cold intolerance, and entitlement to a higher effective date for service connection of chronic diarrhea. The claims were found not supported by evidence showing a direct link to military service.

The Board has reopened the claims for right and left carpal tunnel syndrome, a heart disorder (pathology to include atrial arrhythmia), and hypertension. The veteran's current diagnoses are found more likely related to his active military service.

The Board denied both claims for service connection and increased evaluation, finding no current residuals from the in-service fall that would support a claim of service connection. The veteran's right wrist fracture was evaluated at the maximum schedular rating based on limitation of motion.

The Board found that the veteran's left wrist and left elbow disorders were not caused by, or permanently worsened by, his service-connected left foot disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased rating for right ulnar nerve injury, service connection for right shoulder condition, deQuervain's disease, and right carpal tunnel syndrome.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining service medical records and conducting VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present back disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service connected residuals of a fracture of the right tibia with patellofemoral arthritis and his service connected right wrist disorder.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the RO's rating decisions of September 1971, as the evidence then of record did not support a higher evaluation for the veteran's shell fragment wounds and scar.

The veteran's claim for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome is not well-grounded. The VA has denied the claims for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 for residuals of a tracheostomy and left shoulder disability, as well as his claims for increased ratings for cervical strain with arthritis, thoracic spine arthritis, lumbar spine weakness, and right knee arthritis.

The Board denied an increased disability rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of fracture, right wrist, as his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left shoulder, left wrist, and left ankle disabilities. The current ratings are noncompensable.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a grenade fragmentation wound to the left hand and denied entitlement to a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's service-connected right wrist disability does not markedly interfere with his employment or result in frequent periods of hospitalization, thus the criteria for an extraschedular evaluation are not met.

The Board has granted service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right arm, left arm, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee. The disability ratings are not addressed in this decision.