Wrist & hand decisions — 2012

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and denied service connection for right and left carpal tunnel syndrome. The Veteran's PTSD is linked to his in-service stressors, while the carpal tunnel syndromes are not considered directly related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's CTS of the left wrist more nearly approximates moderate incomplete paralysis, warranting a 20 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the local regional office.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the Regional Office.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable. A new VA examination is needed to determine if there has been a material change in his disability picture.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and arranging for VA examinations to assess his heart disorder and right wrist disability.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective March 24, 2010, based on his combined schedular rating of 70 percent for service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have begun during service and is therefore granted service connection. The Board finds that additional examinations are needed for the remaining issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, wrist, hip, and ankle disabilities, finding no evidence of direct service connection or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disability (CAD), and migraine headaches are all found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse. The musculoskeletal disabilities are also found to be related to the service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employment and daily activities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, right wrist ganglionectomy residuals (scar and decrease in motion), and stuttering disorder were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his active duty service and have denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left hand carpal tunnel syndrome had its onset during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of residuals of pulmonary sequestrations, gout of the right wrist, knees, and right ankle, and anemia have been denied. The RO assigned staged ratings based on the severity of each condition.,For the period from September 27, 2002 to April 17, 2003, the Veteran's residuals of pulmonary sequestrations were evaluated at 30 percent.

The Board found new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims for hypertension, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and spine injury residuals. The claims were denied as they remained based on service connection criteria.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that it is not related to service or due to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluations of his left foot plantar fasciitis and left wrist De Quervain' tenosynovitis were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to the claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right wrist and arm disabilities, as well as a left hand disability for purposes of accrued benefits. The Veteran's lung disability is not considered service-connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, left leg disability, and right leg disability are not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.