Wrist & hand decisions — 2015

The Veteran's initial 10% rating for left wrist disability is being remanded due to incomplete information and the need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing VA examinations to address the nature, extent, and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development and consideration. The AOJ will obtain all outstanding, pertinent records from Atlanta VAMC and request any additional evidence from the Veteran. A VA examination will be scheduled for the Veteran's service-connected post-traumatic myositis ossificans of the left wrist. Additionally, the AOJ will consider whether staged rating is appropriate for the increased rating claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral tinnitus is related to noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The other issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal was timely perfected, and the Board has jurisdiction to address all issues related to service connection for various conditions. The right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions and new evidence. The Veteran is required to provide information about all medical care providers who have treated him, including VA and non-VA providers.

The Veteran's claimed right knee, left ankle, left foot, and left wrist disabilities were not incurred in service and are not otherwise etiologically related to service. Service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical spine, lumbar spine, and right wrist disorders are not related to his active service. The Veteran's claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board denied service connection for a right wrist disability and for malignant melanoma and basal cell carcinoma on the face due to herbicide exposure.,There is no evidence of a chronic right wrist condition during or immediately after service, nor any continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosed left wrist CTS did not start in service and was not chronic during service. The symptoms were not continuous since service, and there is no evidence of a nexus between service and the current condition. Therefore, the claim for service connection for left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome was denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 30 percent, and he is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. The appeal for a higher rating for the right shoulder disability was denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral wrist disability, including carpal tunnel syndrome, overuse syndrome and tendinitis, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected right upper extremity disability is being remanded to allow for additional examinations and consideration of separate ratings for any identified attendant manifestations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing left and right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome did not undergo a permanent worsening beyond its natural progression during active service, thus denying her claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a right wrist fracture was denied, as the evidence did not show ankylosis. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied due to lack of current disability and inability to establish a link to active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection for PTSD, stomach disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral hand disability, bilateral wrist disability, bilateral ankle disability, left knee disability, traumatic head/brain injury, right shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, or left inguinal hernia, status-post surgical repair is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's CTS of the right wrist and neck disability were not incurred in or aggravated by her military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case for another VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome and its relationship to his service-connected residuals of post-surgery nonunion scaphoid bone fracture.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for wrist pain and low back disorder, as well as his claim for new and material evidence for hypertension, were denied. His initial rating for dermatitis/seborrheic dermatitis was also denied. The Veteran's increased rating claim for PTSD with mild depression remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his TDIU claim due to service-connected disabilities, including left wrist ganglion cyst, gastritis, and muscle pain syndrome. The case will be returned to the Board after additional development.