Wrist & hand decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that a bilateral wrist disability other than carpal tunnel syndrome was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran seeks service connection for his current left wrist disability, which he claims is due to a worsening of a pre-existing condition from military service. The case has been remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination.

The Veteran does not have currently diagnosed residuals of a bilateral hand injury, and the Board finds that his current complaints are not consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome. Therefore, service connection for residuals of a bilateral hand injury is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's arthritis of the left hand and wrist is not related to service, including any exposure to cold or frostbite. The condition was diagnosed many years after service and there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a tonsil disability, which represents a complete grant of the benefit sought on appeal. The Veteran's long-standing history of tonsillitis is presumed to have existed prior to her military service.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the Veteran's residuals of left wrist fracture, effective from November 3, 2010. The previous rating was increased to reflect this change.

The Board is reopening the claim for service connection for a low back disability due to new and material evidence, but remanding it for further development. The claims for left shoulder/upper back disability and additional left wrist disability are also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome on a presumptive basis as the condition was first manifested within one year of the Veteran's retirement from service.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss but denied service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and readjudication of his claim.

The Veteran's service-connected carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left wrists have been rated at 10 percent disabling. The VA has determined that these ratings are not warranted for increased disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including GERD, asthma, and carpal tunnel syndrome, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since January 21, 2009.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine (claimed as neck injury) during his October 2011 Board hearing. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disk disease and strain, right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and residuals of Cesarean section are not service-connected as her current conditions did not manifest during active duty or within one year thereafter.

The Veteran's dizziness/vertigo is causally related to service, and the Board finds that there is a continuity of symptomatology such as to warrant entitlement to service connection. The Veteran's kidney stone is not found to be proximately due to or aggravated by his GERD. The Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome is not found to have its onset during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable from January 23, 2007 to September 30, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities. The issues of increased ratings and TDIU will be held in abeyance pending the outcome of this development.

The Board finds that the Veteran's thoracic outlet syndrome affecting the right upper extremity had onset in service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected right and left wrist disabilities. The case will be returned to the Board after these examinations.