Wrist & hand decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including peripheral neuropathy and GERD. The effective date for an increased rating of PTSD remains denied.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is granted as service-connected.,Increased ratings are required for cervical spine DJD, right shoulder arthritis, sarcoidosis, and bilateral pinguecula.,Service connection is denied for fibromyalgia, polyarthritis (claimed as polyarthritis), chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, and sleep disability. Additional examinations are needed to determine the etiology of these conditions.,The Veteran's knee scars, right elbow disability, left great toe disability, low back disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral wrist disability, and bilateral ankle disability are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's service records show upper extremity pain complaints, including right forearm and left hand pain. The VA is remanding the case to determine if his current CTS was incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to insufficient medical opinions and evidence of record.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development and examination, including service connection claims for various conditions. The Veteran's claim to reopen his bilateral hearing loss claim is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot condition, right hand carpal tunnel syndrome (recharacterized), left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral knee condition, and low back condition due to new and material evidence. The claims are remanded for further development including VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee strain and tinnitus, but denied service connection for left-hand disability, left wrist disability, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's requests to reopen service connection claims for various conditions were denied. The Board also remanded several issues, including a low back disability rating and hypertension rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular rating for his service-connected right wrist disability, finding that the evidence did not demonstrate an exceptional or unusual disability picture with marked interference with employment or frequent hospitalization.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for a new VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, both secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is related to his military service, specifically his MOS as an aviation structural mechanic.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for erectile dysfunction and left wrist condition (carpal tunnel syndrome) due to insufficient medical evidence on file. The VA must provide a VA medical examination to determine if the conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diagnosed conditions for which service connection can be granted, including shoulder, wrist, lower extremity neuropathy, back, knee, leg, foot, respiratory system, sleep apnea, heart, corns of both feet, headaches and neck conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for right wrist ganglion cyst, a right hip condition, and bilateral hearing loss. The hiatal hernia claim is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left ring finger and left elbow/wrist disabilities are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The cases will be returned for further examination and rating determinations.

The Veteran's right wrist disability is currently rated at 40 percent, which corresponds to moderate incomplete paralysis. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the issues of bilateral hearing loss and an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hypertension.,Service connection for a left ventricular hypertrophy is granted, subject to further review.

The Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome is being remanded due to its inextricability with his claim for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. The BPPV claim requires further development before a decision can be made.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to lack of a current diagnosis. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded as there is insufficient evidence on whether it was incurred in or aggravated by service-connected PTSD.