Wrist & hand decisions — 2022

The Board dismissed all appeals due to the death of the appellant.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and bilateral hip disabilities. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.,Service connection was denied as there is no medical evidence linking any current diagnoses to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle condition, carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral hands, and diabetes mellitus, type II are being remanded due to new evidence received. The claim for cervical herniated nucleus pulposus, left C5-6 is also being remanded.,New evidence has been submitted supporting the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle condition, carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral hands, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The claim for cervical herniated nucleus pulposus, left C5-6 remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion from a VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right wrist disability. The claim will be further developed and an addendum opinion will be obtained.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal for right wrist DJD and remanded other service connection claims due to new evidence or changes in circumstances.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for sinusitis, GERD, sleep apnea, and wrist disabilities due to incomplete examination reports and lack of consideration of certain factors. The case will be returned to the Board for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and SSA records. A VA examination is needed to assess whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorder, left lower extremity nerve damage, right lower extremity nerve damage, left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, and right hand carpal tunnel syndrome due to lack of evidence establishing a link between these conditions and service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a right hip disorder and a left wrist disorder, finding that the current conditions did not have their onset during active service or were otherwise etiologically related to an injury or disease incurred during any period of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, resulting in a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection due to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, COPD, migraine headaches, right and left carpal tunnel syndrome are denied as there is no current disability or evidence of a link to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, left Achilles' tendinitis, and major depressive disorder have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence.,An initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for major depressive disorder has been denied as the symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's right wrist injury residuals, including scar and limitation of motion, is granted an initial rating of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine, left ankle, and left wrist disabilities as well as the issue of entitlement to a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) prior to December 12, 2019. The case is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) to obtain SSA records and provide a retrospective opinion regarding the Veteran's left ankle disability during flare-ups.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining retrospective opinions on functional loss during flare-ups and after repetition over time. The AOJ also needs to consider the period prior to April 2021 when a temporary 100% rating was in effect.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for right wrist sprain is denied as there is no evidence of ankylosis or functional ankylosis.,The Veteran's claim to extend the temporary 100 percent disability rating based on surgical convalescence past July 1, 2016, is also denied due to lack of severe postoperative residuals.

The appeal for service connection of a right wrist/hand disorder, to include carpal tunnel syndrome, is dismissed. The appeals for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has dismissed all issues of rating and service connection for various conditions, including major depressive disorder, amputation-related injuries, arthritis, shoulder conditions, hearing loss, headaches, heart conditions, and elbow/shoulder arthralgia. The appeal is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral pes cavus, right wrist joint pain tendonitis, acquired deformity of unequal leg length (secondary to service connected left hip trochanteris pain syndrome), right leg sciatica (secondary to service connected lumbosacral strain), and bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis have been remanded due to incomplete examinations.,Incomplete VA examinations were conducted for the Veteran's claims, necessitating further evaluations.

The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities prior to December 21, 2017.