Wrist & hand decisions — 2008

The Board denied service connection for right forearm and left forearm disabilities, finding no diagnosed conditions. Service connection was granted for a left wrist disorder due to pain, but the condition is not considered ratable.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right elbow condition and a bilateral wrist condition, as well as his claim for an increased rating for PTSD. The issues were all found to lack sufficient evidence to establish service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran is in need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, which have resulted in a favorable decision for special monthly compensation.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome, finding no evidence linking it to active military service or his diabetes mellitus.,For type 2 diabetes mellitus and associated disabilities, the disability ratings have been granted but not increased beyond what is currently assigned.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a fracture, carpal scaphoid with osteoarthritis of the right wrist.

The veteran is granted special monthly pension by reason of need for regular aid and attendance due to his multiple service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's left wrist disability, which includes post-operative fusion and reflex sympathetic dystrophy following carpal tunnel release, has been rated at 40 percent since November 1996. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating as his condition is currently manifested by severe incomplete paralysis of the median nerve.

The Board found that the veteran's arthritis of the upper back, lower back, knees, wrists, feet and hips did not have its onset in service or within one year thereafter. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left wrist disability is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was granted with a 10% initial rating, and her claim for carpal tunnel syndrome secondary to fibromyalgia was also granted. The veteran's fibromyalgia was also granted with a 10% initial rating.

The veteran's claimed groin pain, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, elbow disability, PTSD, ADD, memory loss, and short temper were not incurred in active service.,The veteran failed to report for VA examinations scheduled for the purpose of evaluating his claimed disabilities.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection as his bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was not present in service and is not otherwise related to active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, migraine headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The evidence did not show a link between her current psychiatric conditions and her reserve duty service.

The Board found that the veteran's multiple service-connected and non-service-connected disabilities prevent him from achieving a vocational goal, thus denying additional vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was granted, with his combined disability rating reaching 90 percent due to the addition of service-connected major depressive disorder. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the back disability claim.

The veteran's right wrist condition is rated at 30 percent, and his inguinal hernia residuals are rated at 10 percent. Both conditions have not met the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that additional development is needed. The issues of PTSD, right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, back disability, non-service-connected pension benefits, and TDIU are all pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral ankle, wrist, and knee conditions as they are not due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness related to his Persian Gulf War service.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome and assigned a 20 percent rating effective November 8, 2001. The veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for his left wrist disability was denied, but the RO later decreased the evaluation to 10 percent effective November 8, 2001. Since April 30, 2007, the veteran is rated at 40 percent for carpal tunnel syndrome.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.