Wrist & hand decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the VA opinions are not in compliance with the remand instructions and requires additional medical opinions to address the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings and TDIU is remanded due to incomplete development of his RUE peripheral neuropathy claim.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of December 20, 2006, for the grant of service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome is granted. The decision finds that VA was in constructive possession of medical records showing a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome as early as September 2006 and that the Veteran filed an informal claim for increased rating for his right wrist disability (which included carpal tunnel syndrome) in December 2006.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left and right elbow joint pain, as well as left and right wrist joint pain (claimed as arm joint pain) are granted on a presumptive basis due to his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.,Service connection is also granted for left shoulder joint pain.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a nerve condition of the left upper extremity was denied. The appeal is also remanded for further development regarding service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine. For the entire appeal period, entitlement to a 70 percent rating for depressive disorder and a 20 percent rating for right knee instability are granted.

The Veteran's service-connected left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome is granted with a 10% rating from August 10, 2015, and a 30% rating from February 21, 2020. A higher rating for the period beginning October 1, 2020, is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, cardiac rhythm abnormality with bradycardia and secondary hypotension, transient ischemic attack (mild stroke), left carpal tunnel syndrome, and right carpal tunnel syndrome. The Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for migraines, bilateral leg disorder, right hand disorder (including nerve damage and neuropathy), right wrist scars, and head scars are remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant service treatment records. The Veteran is also advised to provide any outstanding in-service or post-service medical records.

The Veteran's left carpal tunnel syndrome and ulna impairment need to be re-evaluated due to increased symptoms, and a neurological examination is required.

The appeals for PTSD and a right wrist disorder are dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on statutory housebound status was denied as he did not meet the requirements of having a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent and additional disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more, which would qualify him for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) of both upper extremities due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding the etiology of her CTS. The Veteran served as a computer operator during active duty and reported symptoms since working at a keyboard during service, but the examiner noted that these symptoms may have started later in life.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to outstanding VA treatment records and additional visual field testing. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, TDIU prior to September 24, 2020, are also being considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right wrist disability is related to an in-service injury and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for neurological disorders of the left and right upper extremities have been denied as there is no evidence that these conditions had their onset during service or are related to a service-connected disability.,The VA examinations provided opinions indicating that the Veteran's current neurological disorders are not caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's left arm fracture is granted a 10% rating. Service connection for TBI, headache disorder, left great toe sprain, and right wrist disorder are all granted. The appeal of service connection for diabetes mellitus was withdrawn.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and right wrist disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has granted an effective date of January 10, 2005 for the award of service connection for avascular necrosis of the scaphoid area of the left wrist with degenerative joint disease. The case is remanded to determine a higher initial disability rating from May 31, 2012.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than September 3, 2018 and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for migraine headaches. The Board also remanded two issues: service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome and service connection for a left knee disability secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the ratings of lumbosacral spine disc bulge, right knee osteochondritis dissecans with osteoarthritis and limited flexion, and residuals of left wrist fracture. The Board dismissed these claims as a result.