Wrist & hand decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence being added to the record and a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) not having been issued yet.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome is secondary to his service-connected paresthesia in the area of the right posterior hand and/or service-connected right hand burn scars. The VA examiner needs to provide an opinion on this issue.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, adjustment disorder with anxiety, and alcohol use disorder.,Service connection was also granted for a low back disability (DJD) and left arm disabilities (AC joint DJD, shoulder tendonitis, C5 radiculopathy, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome).,Right carpal tunnel syndrome was also granted service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical examination and a need for further clarification of the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to his right thumb, left wrist strain (claimed as left wrist fracture), and cervical strain (claimed as neck) need further examination and opinion. The case is being remanded to allow for a new VA examination and additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets the criteria for a hearing loss for VA purposes.,The Veteran's claims for carpal tunnel syndrome, gastrointestinal disorder, left and right ankle conditions, left and right hip conditions, and migraine are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left upper extremity peripheral nerve disability and right carpal tunnel syndrome. The current rating decision grants a 50 percent rating for PTSD, but the issues of service connection remain pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one must be conducted to determine if the Veteran's left wrist condition is related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including COPD and multiple joint and back conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since June 23, 2013. The Board has granted a TDIU for this period.

The Board has denied service connection for chronic right wrist pain, chronic left wrist pain, chronic right ankle pain, and chronic left ankle pain as there is no current diagnosis of a wrist or ankle disability related to any disease or injury in service.

The Board has remanded the claims for neurological disability of the right upper extremity and right wrist disability due to inadequate medical opinions.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection issues.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities, including right wrist condition with degenerative arthritis, bilateral knee conditions (patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis), left knee condition with degenerative arthritis, degenerative arthritis of the spine, right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy associated with degenerative arthritis of the spine, and left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy associated with degenerative arthritis of the spine. Additionally, a VA examination is required to determine if his depression disorder is secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right wrist disability, and a left wrist disability due to lack of evidence showing these conditions began during or were aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is rated at 10 percent, the maximum under DC 5215. The Board denied a higher rating as there was no evidence of ankylosis or functional equivalent.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete VA examination opinions regarding the etiology of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and neuropathy.

Service connection is granted for a left wrist disorder, skin condition, and PTSD with an initial rating of 70 percent from April 5, 2016.,The Veteran's substance abuse disorder was found to be aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's right wrist disability was granted a 10% rating prior to April 10, 2014, and denied for higher ratings thereafter.,For the right hip disability, no increased rating is warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, a left arm disorder (other than left wrist arthritis), and a right wrist disorder. The conditions are deemed to have started during active military service.

The Veteran's arthritis in the right hand and wrist is granted, but his carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist and right wrist are remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for low back disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, carpal tunnel syndrome in the right upper extremity, and carpal tunnel syndrome in the left upper extremity due to inadequate opinions from Dr. C.K.A.