Wrist & hand decisions — 2012

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist disorder and an increased disability evaluation for right (major) CTS, both rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's right and left CTS have been granted service connection with an effective date of January 28, 1997.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, left ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, right knee chondromalacia patella prior to July 15, 2002, a rating in excess of zero percent for right knee chondromalacia patella prior to March 1, 2007, and a rating in excess of 30 percent for status post right knee arthroplasty with chondromalacia patella and degenerative joint disease prior to April 1, 2010. The effective dates were not established.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD has been granted, and his chronic left wrist disability is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses is being remanded due to procedural issues and the need for further development regarding his coverage and eligibility.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and carpal tunnel syndrome. The Board finds that the criteria for Total Disability Evaluation based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) have been met from December 15, 2006 to November 15, 2010.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is manifested by a right maxillary nasal polyp, and the Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 6522.

The Veteran's GERD was found to have begun during active duty and has continued to the present, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits were denied. The appeal is mixed as some issues were granted and others were not.

The Veteran's claim for VA compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied because there is no medical evidence showing that he has an additional disability as a result of anesthesia administered by VA prior to the scheduled surgery on December 30, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his attorney prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's statements regarding his right wrist injury and the adequacy of the December 2005 VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The claim for tinnitus was reopened but denied on the merits.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased evaluations and effective dates for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, as well as his appeals for service connection for residuals of a fracture of the left wrist and bursitis of the right hip.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and right wrist disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a current disorder related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied because she failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without showing good cause.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant before a decision was made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and residuals of a left wrist fracture) do not preclude him from maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience. The Board finds that the evidence does not support entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected headache syndrome is rated at 30 percent, and her service-connected carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left upper extremities are each rated at 10 percent. The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings has been granted.

The Veteran's left wrist and ankle disorders were not found to be service-connected.,Service connection was granted for Reiter's Syndrome, but the low back, right knee, and shoulder conditions associated with it are separately rated at 10% each.