Wrist & hand decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the wrists, knees, and cervical spine are being remanded due to incomplete records and potential need for additional examination. The case will be reconsidered with both direct and secondary theories of entitlement.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial rating have been denied. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, chest pain (also claimed as costochondritis), and tension headaches associated with seizure disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if there is a connection between current left wrist and hand disabilities and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for high cholesterol, anxiety, obstructive sleep apnea, headaches (undiagnosed), joint pain in left ankle, joint pain in both elbows, joint pain in both wrists, joint pain in both feet, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and PTSD, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for reopening his service connection claims for right wrist and low back disorders due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess his disabilities and their impact on his employability.

The Veteran's service-connected headaches are manifested by migraines with very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability, warranting a disability rating of 50 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for DJD of all joints, finding that his current DJD is not related to his active service and is more likely due to rheumatoid arthritis.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a direct relationship between the Veteran's current lung disability and his military service, thus denying the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are found to be sufficient for a TDIU rating, but further examination is needed to assess the impact of his PTSD on employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a scheduling issue.

The Veteran's current right wrist disorder is diagnosed to be degenerative joint disease, which the VA examiners found was not incurred in service. The Board finds that her lay statements regarding a continuity of symptomatology are not credible and do not establish service connection.

The Veteran's left knee condition is rated at 20 percent, effective from the date of the grant of service connection (November 10, 1998), and his right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome claim has been withdrawn.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA pension examination to determine the nature, extent and severity of all disabilities found to be present. The RO should assign a rating for each of the Veteran's disabilities based on this information.

The Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome is currently rated at 30 percent, effective September 28, 2009. Prior to that date, the disability was rated as moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand was not shown in service and competent medical evidence does not show that his condition is causally related to his military service. Therefore, his claim for service connection has been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's notice of disagreement regarding her September 2004 denial for service connection was not timely filed, and thus the appeal is denied.

The Veteran's separate disability evaluations for his right and left carpal tunnel syndrome were reduced from 10 percent to noncompensable effective from January 1, 2009. The case is being remanded for further development including obtaining additional treatment records and a VA examination.