Wrist & hand decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for a skin disability, right great toe disability, left great toe disability, and right wrist disability are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

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The Veteran's GERD and cervical spine pain are granted service connection. The bilateral foot disability, right shoulder, knee, and ankle scars, and right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome are all granted initial ratings of 30 percent.

The Board granted increased ratings for left knee plica syndrome, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, and carpal tunnel syndromes (right and left), with a combined rating of 100 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and procedural issues regarding TDIU.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his in-service injuries or diseases.

The Veteran's depression is secondary to his service-connected back disability. The issues of increased ratings for left wrist, lumbosacral spine, and left knee disabilities are remanded due to outstanding private treatment records.

The Board has received new evidence since the last decision and is required to issue an SSOC before proceeding with the remand. The issues of service connection for left wrist condition, rating in excess of 10 percent for right wrist condition, and rating in excess of 10 percent for a grade 3 stress fracture, right foot first metatarsal are all being remanded.

The Veteran's right knee, right shoulder, and left wrist arthritis have been granted service connection. The Veteran also received separate disability ratings for his left knee flexion, extension, and instability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for neurological disorders and a heart disorder due to herbicide exposure. The case will be returned to the RO for further development, including obtaining medical records, determining whether the Veteran was exposed to herbicides, and providing an examination to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

Service connection for left knee pain has been granted. The issues of service connection for lumbar spine disorder and right wrist disorder have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for SLAP of the right shoulder was granted effective June 16, 2015. The initial compensable rating for IBS prior to June 1, 2016 and chronic interstitial cystitis were also granted.,The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 30 percent from November 21, 2017 forward and the right hand CTS is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. The hearing loss, shoulder, cervical spine, and right shoulder disabilities may be related to service, but further examination is needed to determine this. Headaches and carpal tunnel syndromes require opinion regarding their relationship to service or other conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left shoulder disability and chronic left wrist strain require additional medical examination to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is denied as it was received more than a year after discharge. The rectum sphincter control disability, GERD, and PTSD claims are granted with increased ratings. The hemorrhoids claim is denied. The right wrist and left wrist disabilities, and headaches claims are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board denied increased ratings for both hands and found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for TDIU prior to June 30, 2017.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and its impact on his employment.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, ankle, and back disabilities as the Veteran did not have any of these conditions during his active duty or at any point during the appeal period.,Service connection was granted for left knee arthritis and right knee arthritis. The Board found that the current diagnoses were related to service due to a significant progression of the left knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and earlier effective dates was granted, with a 30 percent rating assigned for carpal tunnel syndrome with ulnar neuropathy of the left upper extremity and ulnar neuropathy of the right upper extremity since October 28, 2008.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current lumbar degenerative disc disease and his active military service.,The Board remanded the issues of service connection for right hip disability and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.