Wrist & hand decisions — 2008

The VA medical records do not support a finding that the veteran's right upper extremity disorder, claimed as numbness of the thumb and two fingers of his right hand, resulted from treatment at a VA medical facility in February 1987. The Board denies compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right wrist fracture, which existed prior to service and was aggravated during service, meets the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ankle sprain is related to his period of military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for VA examinations to determine the nature, severity and etiology of any current hearing loss, tinnitus, wrist, or back disorder. The case will be returned to the Board for further consideration.

The veteran is seeking an increased disability rating for his service-connected left carpal tunnel syndrome, currently rated at 30 percent. The case has been remanded to allow the VA to obtain additional medical records and conduct a new examination to assess the severity of his condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine strain with degenerative disc disease, thoracolumbosacral spine strain with degenerative changes, tension headaches, right upper and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndromes, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder), right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, and right hip disability. The Board found that the veteran's pre-existing right knee disability was not aggravated by service.

The Board has decided in favor of the veteran, granting service connection for residuals of a right wrist injury.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and readjudication of her claims, including the evaluation of her foot disability and the recovery of severance pay.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right elbow disorder and right wrist disorder do not meet or nearly approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder, wrist, foot, and ankle disorders are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding her periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA). The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has decided that the veteran's claims for increased ratings are denied, and her claims to reopen previously denied service connection claims have been granted. The veteran is now entitled to a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a cyst of the right wrist, but no compensable rating for postoperative residuals of a cyst of the left labia. Her previously denied claims for chemical burns of the scalp, miscarriage, back pain, chronic vaginal infections, uterine fibroids, and PTSD have been reopened.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the left hip, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were denied as there was no evidence of an earlier claim or that the criteria for service connection had been met.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, low back disability, and the initial rating for left wrist fracture with degenerative joint disease. The veteran's current disabilities are found to be related to post-service events.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability of either hand or wrist, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a right wrist disability and assigned an initial rating of 20 percent. The veteran's other claims for increased ratings have been denied.

The veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing the veteran with VA examinations to assess his left wrist and hypertension disabilities.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional VA examination and consideration of his claims, including entitlement to an increased evaluation for left navicular fracture with residual limited range of motion of wrist and arthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a laser burn injury to the right eye, finding that the veteran's current right eye conditions other than his pre-existing amblyopia and strabismus are related to an in-service injury. The issue of service connection for a right wrist disability remains pending.