Wrist & hand decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is being remanded due to the need to consider new VA regulations and adjust the decision based on these changes.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including vision impairment, hypertension, headaches, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome with neurological dysfunction in the right wrist, respiratory disorder, skin disorders, and arthritis of the neck, shoulder, and thoracic spine. The decision also addressed claims to reopen previously denied low back disability, diabetes mellitus, psychiatric disability, and arthritis of the neck, shoulder, and thoracic spine claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was not incurred or aggravated by active duty and is not etiologically related to her military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right wrist injury and for an increased rating for PTSD. The denial is based on the lack of evidence showing that the current right wrist disability or PTSD are related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected residuals of fractures to both his right wrist and ankle do not warrant an increase in disability ratings beyond the current 10% evaluations.

The veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome is found to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for erectile dysfunction was granted, but the initial evaluation remains noncompensable.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for SLAC right wrist and a higher initial rating for residuals of a fracture of the right little finger, PIP joint. The veteran is not entitled to an initial compensable disability rating for his right little finger condition.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a left wrist disability, now characterized as carpal tunnel syndrome, was granted with an effective date of August 14, 1998.

The veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and effective dates were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a grant of service connection or an increase in rating.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a seizure disorder and has found that new and material evidence supports this claim. The condition is presumed to have first manifested in service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for a left wrist and thumb disability due to conflicting opinions on their etiology and potential service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right wrist, hand and forearm conditions are service-connected as they represent a complete grant of the benefit sought on appeal.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for joint pain and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, need further development due to incomplete records and verification of stressors.

The veteran's claims for service connection for psychiatric disorders, tension headaches, left wrist strain, and lipoma of the right shoulder were denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to active duty or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31, Title 38, United States Code due to his employment history and lack of an identifiable employment handicap caused by service-connected disabilities.

The VA denied an increased rating for residuals of surgery to remove a ganglion cyst from the left wrist, finding that the veteran's condition did not meet criteria for higher ratings based on functional impairment or limitation of motion.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's disabilities and assigned initial ratings. The veteran is seeking higher initial ratings, but the evidence does not support such increases.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the right wrist disability effective from April 5, 2002. The veteran's right middle finger disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the veteran's gout and gouty arthritis of the hands, feet, patellar tendons, and wrists are service-connected. The secondary service connection claims for sleep apnea, headaches, and diabetes mellitus related to service-connected coronary artery disease and hypertension have been denied.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a shrapnel wound to the left hip, as there is no competent evidence that the veteran currently has such disability.,Service connection was also denied for PTSD. The Board found that the veteran did not have credible supporting evidence of in-service stressors.