Wrist & hand decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right wrist sprain is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The other issues on appeal have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial disability rating for allergic rhinitis is denied due to lack of evidence showing greater than 50 percent obstruction or nasal polyps.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is remanded because the VA examiner did not provide an adequate rationale regarding whether her condition began in service or is related to service exposure.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus is remanded as no VA examination was conducted prior to the rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist disability is denied because there is no objective medical evidence of the condition during or after his active service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for laceration of the right wrist, with injury to the median nerve and ulnar nerve, have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal through his authorized representative.

The Board has determined that additional information is needed regarding the qualifications of the VA examiners who performed the Veteran's eye and hearing loss examinations in July 2018, as well as a VA examination for his right hand and wrist conditions. The claims are being remanded to obtain this information.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for impaired diastolic dysfunction with diastolic hypertension is granted. The claims for skin disability, diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), right-sided carpal tunnel syndrome, and left-sided carpal tunnel syndrome are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the issues of entitlement to service connection for back pain, neck pain, left hip pain, and a left wrist condition.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection of carpal tunnel syndrome in both upper extremities, as the claim was received more than one year after separation from active duty.,The TDIU issue was abandoned due to incomplete information provided by the Veteran on his VA Form 21-8940.

The Board has granted service connection for left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that the Veteran's MOS as a machinist mate likely contributed to his current condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist, left knee, and right hip conditions have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnoses are presumptively related to his active service due to exposure to burn pits.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including restrictive lung disease, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, left wrist strain with degenerative arthritis, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and residual of right ear otitis media, have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's left shoulder, elbow and wrist disabilities are the result of a car accident during service. The Board finds that severance of service connection for these conditions was proper due to willful misconduct.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and carpal tunnel syndrome of the left hand/wrist may be related to service, but a new examination is needed to determine this relationship.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring a new VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and inadequate examination. The Veteran will need to provide additional medical records, including from Fort Huachuca, Los Angeles Air Force Base, The Presidio of Monterey, and Travis Air Force Base. She may also be provided with new VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, left wrist disability, and right wrist disability. The evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities began during active service or were related to an in-service injury.,For the low back disability, the VA examiner found no chronicity of complaints or findings from service to present day.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus was denied, and the right wrist condition secondary to a service-connected thumb disability is remanded due to procedural errors.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on various service-connected conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating in any of these cases.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right wrist disability is secondary to his service-connected left wrist disability, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.