Wrist & hand decisions — 2021

Service connection for PTSD has been granted with a rating of 70 percent, effective from February 5, 2021.,Service connection for various conditions including heart condition, left foot condition, right and left wrist conditions, migraines, and depression have also been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a lack of recent VA examination and treatment records, which may affect the severity assessment of his carpal tunnel syndrome. The case will be readjudicated after these records are obtained.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and bilateral wrist pain have been reopened, but the merits of these claims are not currently addressed due to pending remands.,Effective date claims for right knee and right shoulder disabilities remain unresolved.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD, loss of teeth, a rating in excess of 50 percent for mood disorder, DMII, and bilateral CTS due to potential overlap with other diagnosed conditions and need for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected right wrist sprain, finding that the evidence did not support such an increase.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the Appellant's periods of active duty and OCS from June 1991 to March 1992. The VA is required to verify these dates and provide an addendum medical opinion on whether her claimed conditions are related to service, including aggravation during OCS.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examination opinions and incomplete development regarding herbicide exposure. The claims will be further developed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in service, which could affect his claims for heart disabilities, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative changes, left wrist and left knee instability as there is no evidence of moderate or severe instability in either condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service or any service-connected disability.,The decision also denied the Veteran's claim for increased ratings for major depressive and anxiety disorders.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right wrist disabilities, as well as for bilateral knee disabilities. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his left wrist and left wrist scar disabilities have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for initial compensable disability rating for residuals of a left wrist surgical scar, hypertension, lumbar spine disability, and left knee disability have been remanded.

The Veteran's burn scars on the right wrist and hand are granted a 10% disability rating prior to February 8, 2021. A separate 10% rating is also granted for his burn scar of the right wrist effective from February 8, 2021. His burn scar of the right hand remains at a non-compensable rating.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disability, lumbar spine disability, osteoarthritis of bilateral hand, carpal tunnel syndrome of bilateral wrist, and gastroesophageal reflux disease as these conditions were not shown to be related to active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right wrist and hand muscle spasms, left shoulder condition, and psychiatric condition incurred during his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims due to lack of substantial compliance with previous directives and legal inadequacies in the VA examiners' opinions. The claims are now pending for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is distinct from his service-connected right wrist fracture, and if so, whether it is caused or aggravated by that condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome as the evidence did not show it began during active service or was related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a chronic right wrist sprain is denied as he is already receiving the maximum disability rating based on limitation of motion, and there is no evidence of ankylosis.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings in excess of the assigned disability ratings have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for major depressive disorder.