Wrist & hand decisions — 2021

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at the maximum schedular level of 50 percent. The Veteran’s painful, tender scar status post removal of ganglion cyst of the left wrist is currently rated at 10 percent prior to April 16, 2019 and denied for staged rating in excess of 10 percent from that date. The Veteran's linear scar of the left wrist has a noncompensable rating.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral eye disability, left hand disability, left wrist fracture, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.,Service connection was also denied for the Veteran's left hand disability, left wrist fracture, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome as there is no credible evidence showing they were incurred or aggravated by his active duty.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is granted service connection. The right and left wrist conditions are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome is granted an increased rating of 30 percent, but no higher, for the entire period on appeal.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The Veteran has a current diagnosis and there is evidence that his condition was present during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from February 2017 to the present.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for right hip arthritis, right knee arthritis, right ankle arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, right elbow arthritis, and right wrist arthritis. The reasons include the need to obtain VA treatment records and VRE records, as well as a new VA examination to assess current right extremity joint conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension and GERD have been granted initial compensable ratings, but no higher. Service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome has also been granted. However, service connection for a heart disorder was denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his left wrist disorder and bilateral tinea pedis were remanded by the Board. The issues regarding the forearm conditions are still pending, while the tinea pedis claim is currently without a rating assigned.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions regarding his service-connected disabilities, including right shoulder-AC separation, right knee strain (recharacterized as total knee replacement), cervical spine disability, lumbosacral strain, left elbow avulsion injury with residuals, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, GERD, malaria residuals, headaches, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for his right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left arm numbness is related to his service-connected right shoulder disability and if it is aggravated by that condition.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for further action due to incomplete records and an inadequate VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for a left wrist disability and granted service connection for non-allergic rhinitis. The left wrist disability was not shown to be related to service, while the non-allergic rhinitis is reasonably shown to have been manifested during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine, right shoulder, right wrist, and right ankle disabilities due to conflicting evidence regarding when and how these conditions were caused or aggravated. The VA is instructed to obtain additional medical records and provide supplemental opinions on whether the Veteran’s current disabilities are secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.,The Board has also remanded the claim for compensation for bladder cancer pursuant to 38 U.S.C. §1151 due to a lack of rationale regarding whether a nerve cluster was severed during surgery and if VA's care caused additional disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left wrist disability and back disability as secondary to both knees due to inadequate opinions in previous examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including lupus, weak bladder, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and gynecological problems, have rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since September 5, 2002. The Board has granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis from that date.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's complete service treatment records and to ensure proper notification of their unavailability. The issues of service connection for various disabilities are being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for residuals of a fracture of the right hand has been granted. The claims for service connection related to cyst of the mouth, left ankle disability, right lateral epicondylitis and right wrist sprain are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings was denied. The left wrist disability is rated at 10 percent, and the back disability is rated at 40 percent as of November 1, 2019.

The Veteran's right hand carpal tunnel syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent prior to October 6, 2020, and 30 percent thereafter. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist and right thumb disability, finding that there was no causal relationship between these disabilities and any in-service injury or disease. The Board noted that the Veteran did not seek treatment for his hand conditions after discharge from service and that his current diagnoses of arthritis were first documented over 38 years later.