Wrist & hand decisions — 2009

The veteran's service-connected right wrist disability is not shown to be productive of ankylosis, and therefore a rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have any additional disability of his right wrist or hand as a result of the surgery he had on October 10, 1995.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings and service connection were denied as the evidence did not support a link to service or a worsening of his conditions.

The Board denied increased ratings for carpal tunnel syndrome, depressive disorder, and hypertension, granted a 10 percent rating for right foot hallux valgus status-post bunionectomy, and denied service connection for cervical spine and left ankle disorders.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current left wrist condition is related to an injury sustained during military service.

The appeal is remanded for further development and adjudication of the Veteran's claims.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development and adjudication of the issues on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and a right wrist disability as there was no evidence of current disabilities, and the veteran did not have any verified in-service stressors or relevant in-service injuries.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right foot disability, a right elbow disability, and carpal tunnel syndrome due to lack of evidence supporting current disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, right wrist disability, and hypertension as there is no competent evidence of record demonstrating the Veteran has a current disability in each case.

The appeal for increased ratings for coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and hypertensive vascular disease was denied, as the evidence did not support an evaluation greater than 30 percent.

The appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability, right wrist arthralgia, and left wrist tendonitis.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a left wrist sprain, hemorrhoids, and bilateral hearing loss due to the lack of competent evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's period of active service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral wrist condition with carpal tunnel syndrome, right inguinal hernia, left knee arthralgia, left-sided numbness, and major depressive disorder as there was no evidence of these conditions during or after service. The claim to reopen the post-traumatic stress disorder claim was granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's multiple claimed disabilities were not the proximate result of active duty and were, in fact, due to his own misconduct.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were partially granted, with some conditions receiving higher initial ratings than initially assigned.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and increased ratings for right carpal tunnel syndrome, lumbosacral strain, and cervical strain were denied. However, a 30 percent rating was granted for the right carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's right wrist injury residuals and also found that he was not entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right and left carpal tunnel syndrome, a chronic back disability, and a bilateral eye disability as there was no competent evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation, nor any nexus to service.

The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence is against a causal or aggravation link between the appellant's current cervical, lumbar spine disabilities and his service-connected thoracic vertebrae compression fractures. The same was also found for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.