Wrist & hand decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The issues of entitlement to service connection for gastroenteritis, residuals of a left ankle sprain, and bilateral hearing loss were addressed by the RO in an August 2003 rating decision, which was not appealed. As such, these decisions are final.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, heart disease, and emphysema, are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a direct link between these conditions and his military service. The claims for secondary service connection were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disorder and a skin disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection have been denied. The initial evaluations for the claimed conditions are not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for right elbow disorder, bilateral wrist disorder, right arm injury, low back disorder, left elbow disorder, and neck disorder. The effective date of these decisions is not specified.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection on multiple conditions and did not assign initial ratings in excess of certain disability levels.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of arthritis of the right wrist and denied his increased rating claims for ulnar nerve disability, cervical spine disability, and left elbow surgical scar.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an initial evaluation in excess of the assigned noncompensable ratings for most conditions, except for a 20 percent evaluation for left shoulder impingement status post surgery.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, rectal incontinence associated with scleroderma, calcinosis of the fingers associated with scleroderma with Raynaud's phenomenon, limitation of motion of left ankle due to scleroderma with Raynaud's phenomenon, left carpal tunnel syndrome (nondominant extremity) due to scleroderma with Raynaud's phenomenon, right knee synovitis, status post arthroscopy, flatfoot with left foot pain due to scleroderma with Raynaud's phenomenon, flatfoot with right foot pain due to scleroderma with Raynaud's phenomenon, hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and right carpal tunnel syndrome (dominant extremity) due to scleroderma with Raynaud's phenomenon, are of such severity as to preclude her from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome or thenar atrophy is related to his service-connected right hand disorder and has granted a separate rating for this condition.

Your initial claim for a higher rating for your service-connected left wrist crepitus status post left arm injury has been granted, but the maximum schedular rating available is 10 percent. The appeal is dismissed as there are no remaining issues to be decided.

The Board has dismissed the appeal with respect to the claims of entitlement to service connection for a fungal disorder, allergic rhinitis, and hypertension due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board has restored the Veteran's original 40 percent rating for residuals of a right wrist fracture with traumatic arthritis, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support this level of disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The left knee condition is rated at the maximum allowable, and the right knee and wrist conditions do not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities with carpal tunnel syndrome is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA neurological examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral wrist disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied both his claim for service connection and his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected left hand impairment is associated with cervical nerve root injury at C8-T1, and he has been granted a 50% rating for this condition. The Board also found that the Veteran does not have current carpal tunnel syndrome or loss of use of his left hand.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of his traumatic arthritis, left wrist, is denied as the evidence does not show that he meets the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's cause of death (urosepsis) was not service-connected, and no other disability contributed substantially or materially to his death.