Wrist & hand decisions — 2015

The Board has granted service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, right wrist. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and rhinitis are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a videoconference hearing at the Louisville, Kentucky RO. The issues on appeal include service connection claims and requests to reopen previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the case for a video conference hearing before the Board at the RO in Montgomery, Alabama. The Veteran's claims of service connection and rating for various conditions are pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and bilateral wrist disability, finding that new evidence received since the last final denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.,Service connection is granted for sinusitis and bilateral wrist disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine, right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome with radiculopathy and left arm numbness, and left shoulder disability are not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed as she withdrew her claim for increased rating of left wrist scar. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess her current headaches and plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected conditions, and the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 are not met.

The Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and bilateral knee disorder have been granted service connection. However, the Veteran does not meet the criteria for an increased rating for his chronic bilateral tendonitis or residuals of anal fissure with hemorrhoids.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various ankle, foot, knee, and wrist disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of a ganglion cyst of the right wrist did not result from service or are not related to his service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of service connection for an eye disorder, a right knee disorder, and residuals of a fractured right wrist and metacarpal. The appeals regarding gallstones, plantar warts, vertigo, and carpal tunnel syndrome were withdrawn prior to decision.

The Board finds that the Veteran's migraine headaches began in service and have been continuous since then, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection. Service connection is also granted for left carpal tunnel syndrome as secondary to her service-connected right wrist disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right elbow disorder, right wrist fracture residuals, gastrointestinal disability (GERD), left foot plantar fasciitis, upper respiratory infection, and conjunctivitis. The decision also found that the Veteran did not meet criteria for separate ratings under DCs 5260/5261 due to arthritis or instability of the knee.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions.

The Veteran's current left wrist disability is not attributable to his active military service.

The Veteran's claimed disabilities are not service-connected as they are not shown to have developed due to in-service injury or disease, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. The right wrist disability does not warrant a rating greater than 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bunions, and heel spurs are not service-connected as they did not develop during his military service.

The Veteran's right and left wrist ulnar and median nerve dysfunction with instability were granted initial evaluations of 10 percent prior to February 1, 2012, and 30 percent thereafter. The TDIU claim was also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and increased ratings for her left and right knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus to service or aggravation of pre-existing conditions. The Veteran's complaints were found to be within normal limits.

The Veteran's wrist disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, based on limitation of motion. The Board finds no evidence of ankylosis or other conditions that would warrant a higher rating.