Wrist & hand decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with the August 2020 remand directives and a new medical opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's current condition resulted from carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill or similar incidence of fault on the part of VA.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the Veteran's service connection claims due to conflicting information regarding his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (INACDUTRA).

The Board has denied service connection for various disabilities, including right wrist, left wrist, neck, right shoulder, and back conditions, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's service-connected right wrist disability and PTSD have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, resulting in the grant of TDIU on an extraschedular basis from July 31, 2006 to September 4, 2017.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining treatment records and providing examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney stones was denied in July 2015, and the claim has been reopened due to new evidence. The Board finds that there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and service.,Service connection for IBS was granted in July 2015 with an effective date of November 19, 2014. The Veteran's appeal regarding the effective date is dismissed as untimely.

The Board has denied service connection for all of the claimed disabilities as they are not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's left wrist and thumb disorder was rated at 10 percent prior to September 24, 2008, and at 40 percent thereafter. The BPH rating remained at 20 percent prior to September 24, 2008, and increased to 60 percent thereafter.,The Veteran's left wrist and thumb disorder was rated as 10 percent disabling prior to September 24, 2008, due to mild incomplete paralysis of the median nerve. From September 24, 2008, forward, the rating remained at 40 percent, consistent with severe incomplete paralysis of the median nerve.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination regarding whether obesity caused or aggravated carpal tunnel syndrome, and if so, whether it was a substantial factor in causing the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity neurological conditions.