Wrist & hand decisions — 2023

The Veteran is seeking additional retroactive VA disability compensation benefits under the CRSC program for the period from December 2011 to April 2015, and he also wants to know if it was proper to withhold his VA disability compensation benefits due to a retired pay adjustment. The Board has ordered further action to review these issues.

The claims for service connection of left shoulder, left wrist, and right wrist disabilities have been reopened. The claim for PTSD has not been reopened. Service connection was denied for spondylolisthesis and prostate cancer.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left wrist degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to her military service.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his right wrist degenerative joint disease and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial rating determinations due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current disabilities and his military service. The issues include right hip, ankle, shoulder, wrist, and knee disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to April 22, 2017 due to a lack of evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hand carpal tunnel syndrome as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypothyroidism.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability rating for thoracolumbar spine, service connection for right knee disability, and entitlement to TDIU prior to October 27, 2022 are all remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right wrist disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current wrist conditions and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for left wrist degenerative joint disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and right eye disability. The Veteran's claims were remanded for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral wrist disabilities, finding that they are proximately caused by the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hip disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to missing medical records and the need for a new VA examination to determine if the appellant has spina bifida, as well as the nature and etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from January 14, 2013 to January 5, 2017. The Board has granted TDIU for this period.

Service connection for sleep apnea is granted. The Veteran's current diagnosis of sleep apnea is related to in-service stress.,Service connection for left ankle impairment on a secondary basis is remanded due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a left thumb disability is granted. The Board finds that his current left thumb disability is directly due to the wrist fracture injury he sustained during active duty service. For the increased rating claim, the Veteran's left wrist disability is assigned a 10 percent rating under DC 5215 and the Board denies an increase in rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right wrist and right shoulder disabilities were not incurred in service or related to a service-connected disability. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology, and the VA examiner concluded that the current disabilities are more likely due to normal aging.

The Veteran's initial rating claims for various wrist, shoulder, ankle, hip, and knee disabilities have been dismissed. Service connection has been granted for chronic rhinitis under the PACT Act presumption of exposure to burn pits.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 31, 2016.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The left knee, bilateral heel disorder with plantar fasciitis (secondary to the non-service-connected left knee disorder), left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, lumbosacral strain, hypertension, migraines, and vertigo/syncope are all remanded for further review.