Wrist & hand decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including arthritis of the right arm and neck, and right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, were not found to be related to her military service. The Board denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disorder and a bilateral knee disorder. The Veteran's claim for left ear hearing loss is remanded, as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding whether his current hearing loss is related to military noise exposure.,The Veteran's TBI claim is also remanded, with an addendum opinion needed to address the significant threshold shift in his left ear during service.

The Board has denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the feet, toes, wrists, and knees and diabetes mellitus. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period prior to March 25, 2016 was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the threshold minimum rating requirements for a TDIU on a schedular basis and he could still secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to new and material evidence. The Veteran's condition is considered to have manifested within a year of her separation from service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board denied a higher disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected left wrist sprain, finding that the current 10 percent rating adequately reflects her symptoms and limitations.

The Board has denied service connection for several conditions, including right foot disability, CVS, bilateral hearing loss, vertigo, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The issues of lumbar disability and insomnia are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected right wrist disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a remand is necessary to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, headaches, left wrist disability, bilateral hip disability, and left knee disability are not granted due to lack of new and material evidence. The cases have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for a right wrist/hand disorder, warts of the right middle and little fingers, and myopia, astigmatism, and refractive error have all been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeal for service connection for sinusitis. Service connection is granted for left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, depression, and a nervous condition).

The Veteran's claims for depression, left wrist pain, and right wrist scar have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence. The decision is mixed as some issues are granted while others are remanded.

The Veteran's right wrist tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome have worsened, requiring a new examination to determine the current severity of her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence, but has remanded them for further development as there is insufficient evidence to determine if any of the claimed conditions are related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's joint pain is not due to an undiagnosed illness. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support service connection for unspecified joint pain.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of fibromyalgia and there is no evidence showing it began during service or is otherwise related to in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee disability, right wrist disability, and sleep apnea due to a procedural error in activating his appeal under the modernized review system.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of his right wrist and right shoulder, umbilical hernia, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, and tinnitus. The effective dates for these conditions are set to February 3, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings are being remanded due to the failure of VA to contact him at his new address in Georgia. The examinations scheduled for June 2018 have not been conducted, and a copy of the Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was sent to two prior addresses in South Carolina.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions. The Veteran will be provided with additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for a right wrist disability is denied as there is no evidence of ankylosis, and the current rating adequately reflects his functional limitations.