Wrist & hand decisions — 2006

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, carpal tunnel syndrome, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including post-traumatic stress disorder) due to lack of evidence demonstrating a nexus between these conditions and her military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right wrist trauma, finding that the current 10 percent disability rating is appropriate given the evidence of limited range of motion and instability.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for her scar of the left breast and tendonitis of the left wrist have been denied as there is no evidence to warrant a higher rating under current VA regulations.

The Board found that the veteran did not incur additional disability as a result of VA right carpal tunnel syndrome surgery, and denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a fracture of the right wrist do not warrant a higher rating, as they do not meet the criteria for an increased disability evaluation beyond the currently assigned 30 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease, effective from January 25, 2005. The veteran's depression is not related to a service-connected disability, and his left wrist, hip, and knee disabilities are not shown to be caused by or aggravated by service or a service-connected condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity as there is no current competent medical evidence that he has a disability.

The veteran was granted total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective September 1, 1986. The appellant seeks DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 but is denied as the veteran did not meet the statutory duration requirements for such benefits.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability related to infectious mononucleosis and therefore denied her claim for service connection. The remaining issues of increased evaluations for TMJ, right knee, left knee, and tendonitis of the right wrist are remanded for further development.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including fatigue, hair loss, night sweats with chest pain, joint pain of the wrists and arms, memory loss, suicidal tendencies, irritability, stuttering, a sleep disorder, short attention span, psychiatric condition, headaches with blurred vision, sensory polyneuropathy (claimed as tingling and numbness of joints), arthritis of the knees, bladder problems with incontinence, PTSD, and CFS are denied. The evidence does not support service connection for these conditions under any theory.

The veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection are being remanded due to the need for further examination and development of his medical records.

The Board found no evidence of right knee, left jaw, neck, upper back or right wrist injuries sustained during service and denied all claims for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the osteoarthritis of the left wrist and hips was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor may such a disability be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and evaluations of his right knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of functional impairment or instability warranting a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of April 14, 1997 for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The decision found that it was not factually ascertainable that impairment increased prior to this date.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for reductions in ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of the left and right knees, as well as wrist strains on both sides, should be set to February 1, 2004.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The veteran's right and left carpal tunnel syndromes are currently rated at 10 percent each, based on mild incomplete paralysis of the median nerve.,Since August 26, 2002, the veteran's right trigger thumb release residuals have been rated as non-compensable due to lack of functional impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected chronic rhinitis with a history of maxillary sinusitis and post traumatic arthritis of the left wrist, finding that the evidence did not warrant an increase in these ratings. The claim for reopening the schizophrenia issue was also denied as no new and material evidence had been submitted.