Wrist & hand decisions — 2008

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for stiffness of various joints and vision problems, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, finding no evidence linking the condition to his active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and small fiber neuropathy, polyneuropathy, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The decision found that there was no evidence linking the current conditions to service or any presumptive exposure basis.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of her service-connected De Quervain's tenosynovitis of the right and left wrists, as well as chondromalacia of the left knee, have been denied. The evidence does not support an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for his left knee disorders, finding no current right wrist disability. The issues regarding an increased rating for a left knee disorder, initial rating for left knee arthritis, and earlier effective date were remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no current diagnoses or evidence of the claimed conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disability and an initial evaluation in excess of 0 percent for left Achilles tendonopathy. The veteran is not entitled to these benefits based on the evidence provided.

The veteran's seborrheic dermatitis is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7806-7800.,The veteran's varicose veins of the right lower extremity are currently rated as 10 percent disabling and do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7120.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disorder, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,There is no current diagnosis or treatment records for an irritable bowel syndrome.

The veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities with superimposed carpal tunnel syndrome, related to his diabetes, is being remanded due to a need for another VA examination.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was not incurred or aggravated by service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found the preponderance of evidence against a higher disability rating for the veteran's service-connected left wrist disability, which is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5215.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected low back and right wrist disabilities do not warrant higher ratings based on the evidence of record.

The Board found no evidence of a service-connected hearing loss disability and denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist, right wrist, and bilateral hand and finger disorders as secondary to his service-connected bilateral epicondylitis.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for any of the claimed conditions and that none are related to service. Therefore, service connection cannot be granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain and postoperative fracture of the right wrist and hand, finding that his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion or neurological manifestations.