Wrist & hand decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for a left wrist disability and hypertension due to inadequate etiology opinions. The Veteran's lay statements regarding symptom onset and persistence must be considered, and further clarification is needed on the date of diagnosis for hypertension.

The Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine arthritis, thoracolumbar spine arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right elbow arthritis, left elbow arthritis, right wrist arthritis, left wrist arthritis, right hip arthritis, and left hip arthritis have all been denied.

The Board has denied service connection for a right knee disability, lumbosacral spine disability, trigger finger in both hands, and carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral upper extremities due to lack of evidence supporting an in-service event or continuous post-service disability. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including neck disability, bilateral shoulder and elbow disabilities, wrist disabilities, hip disabilities, carpal tunnel syndrome, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional service treatment records from October 1979 to July 2000 and request opinions on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist, right knee, and left knee disorders due to insufficient medical opinions addressing all relevant evidence.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, and thus the Board is dismissing all issues on appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for left hand and wrist arthritis, as well as right hand and wrist arthritis, both secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability. The remaining issues of musculoskeletal and genitourinary disabilities have been remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is also being remanded as there was no VA examiner opinion regarding whether his right hand/wrist nerve damage is caused by VA treatment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to January 25, 2015. The Board found that the Veteran was able to perform light physical or sedentary work and had a stable income before his unemployment.

The Board denied service connection for all the claimed disabilities, finding that there was no evidence to support their occurrence during or as a result of active duty service.

The Board has remanded several claims for additional medical opinions and to obtain relevant records, including from Social Security Administration (SSA). The issues include service connection for various conditions such as right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, carpal tunnel syndrome, flat feet, edema, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, headache disorder, head injury residuals, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than insomnia.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a right wrist ganglion cyst, finding that the evidence does not support a link to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that there was no nexus between his current condition and his active military service.

The Board has ordered remand for further development regarding the Veteran's right wrist and right shoulder disabilities due to inadequate opinions from previous VA examiners.

The Veteran's left carpal tunnel syndrome, diagnosed as left shoulder impingement syndrome, is found to have its onset during service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for neck, left shoulder, right shoulder, left wrist, and right wrist disorders are remanded due to the need for additional development of his treatment records from Community Care providers.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot and right foot disorders are remanded due to the need for an adequate opinion addressing whether these disabilities are related to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, including sleep apnea, is remanded due to the need for an adequate opinion addressing whether this disability is related to service or aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and head injury (claimed as CTE) are remanded due to the need for an adequate opinion addressing whether these disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's left and right hand and wrist disabilities have been granted initial ratings of 20 percent and 30 percent, respectively, effective February 29, 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a left wrist condition due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete STRs. The Veteran will need to provide additional military records, undergo VA examinations, and receive updated medical nexus opinions.

The Veteran's hypertension was not found to meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's scars of the wrists, knees, and left shoulder were not found to meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.