Wrist & hand decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various hand and wrist disabilities, including a right thumb disability, left elbow disability, left wrist disability, and left cubital tunnel syndrome. The claims are being remanded due to the need for new medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and headache disability due to lack of a diagnosed condition.,Service connection is also denied for cervical spine, lumbosacral spine, left wrist, and sleep disorder disabilities as the evidence does not support their direct association with service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU benefits prior to December 9, 2016, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and its relationship to his service-connected residuals of gunshot wound.

The Board has remanded the claims for right and left hand carpal tunnel syndrome due to new evidence presented by the Veteran, including updated treatment records and a February 2009 MRI report. The Veteran argues that his carpal tunnel syndromes are related to service, specifically repetitive work as an electrician and a past injury during service.

The Board denied service connection for a right wrist and right elbow condition, finding that the current conditions are not related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for arthritis of the right and left wrists and hands due to a lack of an adequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has remanded the TDIU, SMC, SAH, and SHA claims due to additional development being needed. The issues include determining whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities impact his ability for self-care and if he requires assistance in his daily environment.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including a new VA examination for the Veteran's low back disability and service connection claims for psychiatric disorders, elbow, wrist, hand, and respiratory disabilities. The Veteran is seeking higher ratings for his low back disability and service connection for various conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been withdrawn, and the claims are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right hip, shoulder, knee, and wrist disorders due to their secondary nature to bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. Additional development is needed including obtaining private treatment records and providing VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right wrist, left shoulder, and right shoulder conditions have been granted. The claim for service connection of the left knee condition has also been granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the claims for service connection due to missing VA treatment records from shortly after the Veteran's discharge. The Veteran's disabilities are being remanded for further examination and review.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder has been granted. The Board found that the chronic pain from his service-connected lumbar strain disability caused his current major depressive disorder.,Service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left upper-extremity neurological disorders, including peripheral-nerve disorder and carpal tunnel syndrome, as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's knee and shoulder conditions have been evaluated based on their current functional impairment, with no indication of service connection for any specific exposure or condition.,No new evidence has reopened the claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left upper extremities, both secondary to service-connected Meniere's disease.

The Veteran's service-connected left hand and wrist disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since September 29, 2011.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral flatfeet, jaw condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left wrist condition, and right wrist condition. The Veteran's sleep apnea claim was also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for her right shoulder condition, which she contends is related to a motor vehicle accident during active duty, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for her service-connected right wrist condition. The remand requires obtaining updated medical evidence and scheduling VA examinations.