Wrist & hand decisions — 2015

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims but denied them on their merits due to lack of new and material evidence. The original denial remains final.

The Veteran is entitled to an annual VA clothing allowance for the year 2012 due to his service-connected right wrist residuals, which necessitate the use of a right wrist splint that wears and tears his clothes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining missing records from his military service and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected ganglion cyst of the left wrist is being remanded due to a need for additional medical examination and development.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current bilateral knee disability or right wrist disability as a result of active duty, ACTDUTRA, or INACTDUTRA. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when considered together, render him unemployable. The case is REMANDED for a comprehensive examination to determine the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and headaches. The Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset during active service, his hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent, and his headaches are rated at the maximum allowable under Diagnostic Code 8100.

The Veteran's residuals of right wrist and hand injury have been manifested by degenerative changes confirmed by x-ray and limitation of motion, but no ankylosis or associated neurological disability. The criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent have not been met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is related to his in-service deployment and repetitive motion tasks, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Thailand and whether his PTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and other psychiatric conditions are related to service. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to a 70 percent evaluation, with an additional grant of special monthly compensation for the loss of use of a creative organ. The case is REMANDED for further examination and readjudication.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain updated VA treatment records, arrange for examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and determine their etiology, and readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's right wrist disability, characterized by severe limitation of motion and requiring two surgeries, is rated at 30 percent under Diagnostic Code 5214.

The Board denied service connection for a neurological disorder of the bilateral upper extremities, including peripheral neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome. The claim was not granted as there is no evidence linking these conditions to military service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a videoconference hearing at the earliest available opportunity. The RO will notify the Veteran of the date and time of the hearing, in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 20.704(b).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left hand scar and deviated septum, as well as service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals regarding bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, a cervical spine disorder, and neuralgia of the jaw before a decision was made by the Board.

The Veteran's claims for initial evaluations of his service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's left wrist ganglion cyst was incurred during active service and granted service connection. The claim for numbness of the extremities, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness, is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the bilateral hips, knees, and wrists, and his left shoulder, as well as his disc disease of the cervical and lumbar spine with stenosis are attributable to his active military service.