Wrist & hand decisions — 2021

The claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records review.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the issues of entitlement to higher ratings for his right shoulder and left shoulder disabilities are being remanded.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the issue of entitlement to a higher rating remains on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the severity of his service-connected left elbow disability and to address claims for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for dyslipidemia is denied as it is not a disability under VA law and regulations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine strain, low back pain, degenerative joint diseases of the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and feet, allergic rhinitis, peptic ulcer, diverticulosis, hiatal hernia, erectile dysfunction, benign prostate hyperplasia, memory disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depression are remanded for further development.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a total disability rating due to unemployability (TDIU) is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the above-mentioned issues.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations. The Veteran's psychiatric claim is also remanded as new evidence suggests a DSM-5 diagnosis may be warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for a right hip disorder, LUE CTS, RUE CTS, and denied service connection for left knee disorders. The case is REMANDED for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his left wrist disability is being remanded due to inadequate previous examination. The VA needs to schedule the Veteran for an updated examination to assess the severity of his condition and determine if there are any nerve damages.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left wrist disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by an in-service injury.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure the AOJ substantially complies with prior remand directives and affords the Veteran adequate examinations of his disabilities.

The Veteran's right wrist disability, characterized as tenosynovitis, is rated at 10 percent since March 14, 2018. The appeal for a higher rating has been denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and recommends additional testing for gouty arthritis of bilateral knees, right foot, and right wrist.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to new evidence indicating worsening of his peripheral neuropathy and rosacea, as well as potential exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the cause of death.

The Board has decided one issue on appeal and remanded the remaining issues for further development. Additional development is necessary, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's left wrist strain is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating based on limitation of motion. The appeal for increased evaluations was denied.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral congenital arm and wrist deformity disorder, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition did not worsen during service. Service connection was also denied for an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to his congenital condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left wrist peripheral neuropathy prior to October 17, 2016 due to inadequate consideration of relevant medical evidence in previous decisions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, unspecified depressive disorder, is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's neck disability (degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine) is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right arm disability (right olecranon bursitis and degenerative arthritis) is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left arm disability, to include osteoarthritis of the wrist, is remanded for further development.,The Veteran's right hand disability (right elbow disability) is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left hand disability (osteoarthritis of the wrist) is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is remanded to determine if it was aggravated by his third period of active duty or related to his first two periods.

The Board denied service connection for left wrist and right ankle disabilities. It also denied increased ratings for left hip arthritis, right hip extension limitation, and right hip abduction limitation.,However, the Veteran was granted a 10% rating for left hip degenerative joint disease from October 13, 2015 to January 6, 2020, and a 20% rating for right hip flexion limitation on and after September 11, 2015. The Veteran's total unemployability prior to March 6, 2018 was also remanded.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted service connection due to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for cervical spine, left wrist, and lumbar spine disabilities are denied as there is no credible evidence of such injuries during service or within one year thereafter.