Wrist & hand decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck disability, back disability, left-hand CTS, and right-hand CTS due to inadequate opinions in the May 2022 VA examination report. The AOJ is required to obtain additional medical evidence and provide a new opinion addressing the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right and left wrists, as well as arthritis of the right and left hands. The evidence does not show that these conditions manifested within one year of separation from service or were otherwise etiologically related to in-service injuries.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for hemorrhoids was denied. The claims of service connection for vitiligo and arthritis of the hands and wrist were remanded.

The Veteran's right wrist scar and condition are granted service connection, but the increased rating for his right wrist condition is remanded due to new evidence being required. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is intertwined with the right wrist disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right shoulder, cervical spine, elbow, wrist, back, hip, ankle, foot, and psychiatric conditions. The decision also notes that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist CTS, right wrist CTS, PTSD, tension headaches, and cervical spine disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral has been reopened. The Board found the Veteran's right and left foot disabilities are related to his in-service frostbite exposure and secondary to his service-connected herpes simplex II.

The Veteran's appeal regarding a disability rating for his service-connected left wrist disability is being remanded due to the need to assess the competency of the September 2013 VA examiner.

The claims for service connection for headaches, back disability, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right upper extremities, and anxiety disorder/depression have been reopened.,The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have also been reopened.

Your claim for service connection for a left wrist condition has been fully granted, but the matter is dismissed as your appeal was resolved in full with the April 2022 rating decision.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee condition, left ankle condition, low back condition, hypertension, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and a condition of the bilateral feet other than pes planus. The evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.,There was no medical opinion linking any of these conditions to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for flat feet, hepatitis C, residuals of venereal disease (to include herpes), right wrist condition, bilateral hip conditions, erectile dysfunction, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are remanded for further development.

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

The Veteran's right ulnar nerve neuritis with carpal tunnel syndrome is rated at 20 percent prior to June 11, 2022 and at 70 percent from June 11, 2022. The Veteran also received a TDIU rating effective October 23, 2015.,The Veteran's right ulnar nerve neuritis with carpal tunnel syndrome is rated at 70 percent since June 11, 2022.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to the need for additional medical records and examination.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of arthritis in both the right and left wrists has been dismissed due to a withdrawal by his representative.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's December 2019 VA Form 10182 Notice of Disagreement was improperly accepted as an AMA appeal. The AOJ must issue a statement of the case for the issues decided and the Veteran will have the option to continue the appeal under either the legacy system or the modernized appeals system.

The Veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a left elbow condition has been granted. The issues of entitlement to service connection for neck and wrist conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is productive of at least mild, incomplete paralysis of the median nerve. The Board finds that a rating of at least 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 8515 is warranted for his neurological impairment of the left wrist.

The Board has remanded several issues, including the rating of PTSD and low back disability, as well as service connection for a heart condition. Additional development is needed to obtain non-VA treatment records, ensure adequate VA examinations, and address functional equivalence claims.