Wrist & hand decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the Veteran's heart conditions, CTS of the wrists, Parkinson's disease, and peripheral neuropathy. The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss also needs further examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for her right wrist disability. The case is being remanded to address separate service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and entitlement to a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left wrist ulnar nerve neuropathy. The case will be returned for further development and adjudication.

The Board has denied a higher evaluation for the Veteran's right wrist disability, finding that it does not more nearly approximate ankylosis in any position.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left ankle disability, kidney disorder (to include kidney stones), diabetes mellitus, type II, sleep disorder (to include sleep apnea), and left arm carpal tunnel syndrome. The reasons provided were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have a left knee disability, cardiac disability (manifested by chest pain), or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) at any time during or recent to the filing of the claim. The Veteran's medical records do not provide evidence of these conditions.,For the remaining issues, including Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the Board has determined that there is sufficient evidence to grant service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection as it is reasonably shown to have had onset in service and persisted since.,The Veteran's ganglion cyst of the right wrist was withdrawn by the appellant through his authorized representative.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist disability due to insufficient development and lack of substantial compliance with previous Board orders.

Service connection is granted for left and right ankle disabilities, left and right wrist strain, and left and right knee chondromalacia. The claims of service connection for shoulder, elbow, and leg disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination of the Veteran's left wrist. The examiner is required to provide a new opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left wrist disability, including whether it was caused or aggravated by service or any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's varicose veins of the right and left lower extremities were granted a 60% disability rating effective April 20, 2020.,The Veteran's right wrist strain with ganglion cyst was denied any increase in disability rating.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inadequate VA examinations and for issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's remaining issues of entitlement to service connection for gastrointestinal, right wrist, and left wrist disabilities. The case should be returned to the Board after compliance with appellate procedures.

The Veteran's right arm and right wrist disabilities were not incurred in service, as there is no evidence of chronic conditions noted during service or post-service manifestations. The Board found the VA medical opinions to be persuasive and denied service connection on a direct basis.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to inadequate examination reports and the need for additional development. The Veteran's claims include back, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral pes planus, hip, knee, and CTS conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist condition and a deviated septum, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various joint disabilities associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome have been denied. The RO has granted additional service connection and assigned new ratings, but the Veteran is not entitled to higher ratings under current regulations.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations and requests a rescheduling. Additionally, all outstanding VA treatment records need to be associated with the claims file.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease. The Veteran's bilateral CTS was found to have its onset several years after service. The Board also remanded issues regarding ratings for radiculopathy and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, as well as a claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability.