Wrist & hand decisions — 2002

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for carpal tunnel syndrome of both wrists, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, attributable to his active service and there is no evidence of a bilateral wrist disorder related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome with hand numbness, a right shoulder disorder, a right hand disorder, a skin disorder, a blood disorder, and memory loss, are not shown to have been caused by any incident of service, including as secondary to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. Therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for DDD of the thoracolumbar spine and assigned a 20 percent disability rating. Service connection was denied for bilateral knee disorder, left hand disorder, bilateral wrist disorder, and right ear otitis media and externa.

The veteran's postoperative residuals of a left wrist fracture are rated at 30 percent, effective March 3, 1992. The initial evaluation for his left carpal tunnel syndrome remains at 20 percent.

The Board has denied all the veteran's claims for service connection, finding that none of his claimed conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right wrist disability, which includes laceration of the right (dominant) wrist and third and fourth fingers, warrants a 30 percent evaluation based on moderate incomplete paralysis of the median nerve. The evidence does not support a higher rating.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for various service-connected conditions have been granted, with the highest rating of 20 percent assigned for his left shoulder disability.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent disabling, and he has additional disabilities that independently rate at 60 percent or more. He is not in need of regular aid and attendance but is substantially confined to his dwelling due to multiple service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities are not of such severity as to preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment, and therefore the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right hand and wrist, as well as a neck disability, both secondary to his service-connected residuals of an injury of the right hand and wrist. The RO had previously granted service connection for these disabilities but did not consider them on a secondary basis.

The Board finds that the veteran incurred or aggravated degenerative changes of the cervical spine in service and granted service connection for this condition. The veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, so service connection is denied. For low back pain with compression fracture, L3, the evaluation was increased to 20 percent prior to October 15, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right and left knee disabilities, cervical spine disability, headaches, and ganglion cyst of the wrist. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right wrist disability, characterized by degenerative joint disease with extensive degeneration of the scaphoid bone and a degenerative cyst in the lunate, is service-connected.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left and right wrist disabilities do not warrant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was not incurred in or related to her active military service and denied her claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for swelling of the hands, fingers and wrists as secondary to his service-connected low back disability. The claim for a higher rating for his lumbosacral spine disability was granted with a 40% rating. However, the prostatitis claim did not result in any change in rating.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for residuals of a right wrist fracture, but denied any increase in the rating for residuals of a right ankle sprain.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities for right wrist, bilateral shin splints, hemorrhoids, right elbow disability, or pseudofolliculitis barbae. Therefore, service connection is denied for all issues on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis, and granted a 10% disability rating for residuals of a pilonidal cyst.