Wrist & hand decisions — 2019

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including a right wrist disability, allergic rhinitis, residuals of left wrist fracture, Bell's Palsy, recurrent prostatitis, and a left wrist scar. The appeals are dismissed or remanded as appropriate.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder due to new and material evidence. The claims for left arm and right wrist disorders are remanded as VA examinations are needed.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral wrist disability and sleep disorder (other than sleep apnea) have been reopened, but service connection is not granted due to lack of current disabilities. The Veteran's tinnitus and migraine headaches are rated at the maximum schedular rating available, and an increased rating for plantar fasciitis quiescent is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder and wrist De Quervain's tenosynovitis. The Veteran's other claims, including right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and left wrist conditions (excluding De Quervain's), are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, left hand disability, and left wrist disability have been shown to prevent him from obtaining substantial gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the Veteran's failure to attend a VA examination. The claim for service connection of bilateral wrist disability, which is secondary to service-connected bilateral ankle disability, will be further evaluated.

The Board has readjudicated the claims for service connection for various lower extremity conditions, including shin splints, ankle disabilities, hip disability, foot disabilities, wrist disability, shoulder disability, and knee disability. The decision is mixed as some issues have been granted while others are remanded.

Service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left wrists has been granted.,The Veteran's vision loss is being remanded for further review.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, migraine headaches, and erectile dysfunction due to incomplete VA treatment records and missing service treatment records. Additional development is needed.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of a right wrist disorder, service connection for PTSD, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The remand is necessary to obtain missing military personnel records related to disciplinary actions and arrests during service, as well as additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome are being remanded due to the absence of a VA examination addressing these issues. The Veteran must be provided with a medical opinion regarding whether her conditions are related to or aggravated by her service-connected disabilities, including her neck strain, right shoulder strain, left shoulder impingement, and repetitive typing as part of her MOS.

The appeal to establish that a Substantive Appeal of the September 29, 2014 rating decision was timely filed is granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating and effective date prior to January 9, 2013, for SMC at the housebound rate is denied.

The Veteran's status post ganglion cyst of the left wrist was evaluated at a 10 percent rating since September 21, 2007. The Board found that her range of motion did not warrant an increased rating as she did not have unfavorable or favorable ankylosis.

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative disc disease of the spine and degenerative joint disease of the left wrist are granted. The Board has remanded the cases for further examinations to determine appropriate ratings for right ear hearing loss and acid reflux/gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The Veteran's right volar wrist scar and GERD were granted initial ratings, with the right volar wrist scar receiving a 10% rating effective March 14, 2017. The GERD was granted a 30% rating from February 26, 2018.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, a left foot bottom condition, and a right foot bottom condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist, left knee, right knee, and left ankle degenerative joint disease. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to active service.,There was no in-service diagnosis or treatment of any knee or wrist condition, and the VA examinations found current diagnoses of degenerative joint disease (arthritis) which were attributed to normal aging rather than service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are being remanded as there are outstanding treatment records that have not yet been associated with the claims file.,Further examination and opinion may be needed to determine if any of the claimed disabilities are related to military service.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee disability, right shoulder disability, bilateral wrist arthralgia, bilateral elbow disability, cervical spine disability, and gastrointestinal disability (IBS), due to undiagnosed illness.,These matters are being returned to the Board for further action.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral wrist disability due to new evidence received since the last denial. The claims of service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and headaches disabilities are remanded for further development.