Wrist & hand decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Appellant's service connection claims, including tinnitus and PTSD. The character of discharge determination is also remanded. Other specific disabilities are also being reviewed for potential service connection.

The Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,Service connection for hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for major depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted, but the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left wrist disability remains pending and will be remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied in April 2004, and the effective date of service connection is being denied prior to April 29, 2014.,Claims for various foot conditions, ankle conditions, wrist condition, low back condition, knee conditions, hip condition, bronchitis, sleep apnea, hypertension, and headaches were all denied.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding evaluations in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, 10 percent for bilateral knee strain, 20 percent for bilateral shoulder strain, 10 percent for bilateral wrist strain, and 10 percent for bilateral hip strain. The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran not timely filing a VA Form 10182.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his authorized representative, and all claims have been dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis of the hips, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic constipation (claimed as IBS), hemorrhoids, and diverticulosis (claimed as IBS) due to a lack of evidence supporting these conditions. The Board found that the Veteran does not have CFS, fibromyalgia, or IBS.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities required him to be in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance (A&A) from February 7, 2018.

The Veteran's chronic right wrist sprain is granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected right hand disability.,For the period prior to September 29, 2021, a rating in excess of 20 percent for post-operative residuals of benign tumor removal, right hand, is denied.,A 70 percent rating for post-operative residuals of benign tumor removal, right hand, from September 29, 2021 to December 15, 2022, is granted.,For the period after December 16, 2022, a rating in excess of 70 percent for post-operative residuals of benign tumor removal, right hand, is denied.,Service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome and a right knee disability are remanded.,Service connection for a low back disability secondary to PTSD is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome with numbness, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right wrist disability and an initial rating of 50 percent for tension headaches and migraine including migraine variants associated with bilateral TMJ to include bruxism. The extraschedular ratings for TMJ, cervical strain with IVDS, and RUE radiculopathy have been denied.

The Board has granted the appellant's petition to reopen her claim of entitlement to service connection for a left wrist sprain. The appeal is remanded for further development regarding her claim for a left hand disability and for a rating in excess of 20 percent for cervical spondylosis and degenerative disc disease C5-C6 and spondylosis L3-4.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left wrist residuals status post left scaphoid excision and four corner fusion with osteoarthritis was denied. The Board found that the current 10 percent rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability.

The appeal for service connection for sleep disturbance, including sleep apnea is dismissed. The rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with other specified depressive disorder is denied and the case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, insomnia, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity were initially granted with effective dates of February 6, 2014. The Veteran disagrees with these effective dates.,The Board finds that the earliest date for which service connection can be established is February 6, 2014.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of various service connection claims, including those related to bilateral elbow, wrist, ankle disabilities, a skin disability, right shoulder pain syndrome, chronic lumbar spine syndrome, patellofemoral syndrome of the knees, PTSD with TBI, and electrical burn of the right hand. The Veteran's total disability rating based upon individual unemployability claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction was withdrawn by the Veteran at his August 2023 Board hearing.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The Veteran testified that he had to turn up the volume on his television and ask his wife to repeat herself, indicating functional impairment.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied because there is no evidence of a current disability prior to the filing of the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right wrist disorder is related to his in-service injury, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left wrist, status post fusion with pain, began during active service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected left wrist condition has been denied. The highest schedular rating of 10% is already assigned, and there is no evidence of functional ankylosis or favorable ankylosis at 20-30 degrees of dorsiflexion.