Wrist & hand decisions — 2004

The Board denied service connection for bilateral wrist tendonitis and human papillomavirus warts as there was no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that there was no evidence linking the current condition to a wrist injury in service.

The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for the veteran's left wrist disability, which is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The criteria for favorable ankylosis in 20 degrees to 30 degrees dorsiflexion have been met.

The Board has granted service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome as secondary to the veteran's right thumb and right hand conditions.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for the veteran's nonunion fracture of the scaphoid bone of the right wrist, finding that this condition is analogous to favorable ankylosis and warrants such a rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic skin disorder, residuals of shrapnel wounds to lower extremities, and an increased evaluation for residuals of fracture of right wrist. The issues were all found to be denied.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and an earlier effective date for service connection were denied. The RO granted service connection for a right hand disability as secondary to a right wrist disability, but the Board found no evidence of entitlement prior to September 28, 2000.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a fractured left wrist is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the September 2001 VA examination. The case must be returned for further development, including scheduling the veteran for a pertinent VA examination and considering all submitted evidence.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right wrist fracture was granted, with a current evaluation of 30 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral wrist and ankle disabilities due to a lack of current disability evidence in either wrist or ankle. The veteran's testimony regarding his symptoms was not considered competent evidence.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic left upper extremity disorder during active duty and denied the veteran's claims for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and other disabilities are denied as there is no current evidence of a chronic disability to support the claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and bilateral knee disorder, including arthritis, were not incurred or aggravated during service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board found that the veteran's residuals of a left wrist fracture, which is her minor upper extremity, are manifested by no more than malunion of the radius with bad alignment and some limitation of motion with arthritis. The rating assigned remains at 10%.

The veteran's osteoarthritis of the spine, shoulders, hands, knees, wrists, hips, and right foot was found to be directly related to his service. The muscle pain and joint pain noted in his April 1991 examination are considered as part of this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, rheumatoid arthritis of the left wrist, right ankle, and left ankle. The initial evaluation for PTSD was not met, and there is no evidence of an active rheumatoid arthritis process or ankylosis in any joint.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected arthritis on his employability.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the veteran's right wrist disability resulted from his military service and to obtain any available service medical records. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Board found that the veteran's spinal disability, characterized as osteoarthritis of the cervical spine, is not related to his service. The veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was also not related to his service.