Wrist & hand Board decisions

The veteran's chronic post-operative right wrist injury residuals, including scaphoid rotatory subluxation and joint fusion, are granted as the result of his pursuit of a VA vocational rehabilitation program prior to being declared rehabilitated.

The veteran's claim for a permanent and total disability evaluation for pension purposes was denied as he does not have one nonservice-connected disability rated at 60 percent or more, nor do his disabilities bring the combined rating to 70 percent or more. The Board found that the veteran is not permanently and totally disabled due to nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran sustained a laceration of his left wrist during service and currently has residuals of this injury. The Board finds that these residuals are related to the in-service injury, thus granting service connection for residuals of a left wrist laceration.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination.

The veteran is entitled to an effective date of March 5, 1996 for the grant of compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for his disabilities resulting from a VA surgery in 1996.

The Board has decided the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a higher initial rating for hemorrhoids. The veteran does not have current hearing loss, and her hemorrhoids are currently rated as 0 percent disabling based on their mild to moderate nature. The remaining issues must be remanded due to procedural errors.

The Board found no current disabilities related to the claimed conditions and denied service connection for all issues.

The Board denied the veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for arthritis of the left shoulder, finding that no new and material evidence had been received. The decision is final as it was a final denial with respect to this issue.

The Board found that the appellant's preexisting thyroid disorder was not aggravated by her military service and denied her claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his right wrist fracture residuals and right carpal tunnel syndrome.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings have been granted, with a rating of 10 percent assigned for degenerative joint disease of the left ankle and residuals of an excision of a right thigh cyst. The other claims remain denied.

The veteran's ganglion cyst on the right wrist is rated at 10 percent, and his chondromalacia of the right knee is rated at 20 percent. The PTSD claim remains unchanged with a rating of 30 percent.

The veteran is seeking service connection for a right arm disability that he claims is secondary to his service-connected left arm disability. The VA has requested additional evidence and will conduct further examination to determine the etiology of the claimed condition.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected residual scar from excision of a ganglion cyst of the right wrist, finding that it is manifested by tenderness and pain as well as diminished sensibility and slightly decreased pinprick around the scar. The arthritis in the wrist was not found to be causally related to the service-connected disability.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected right wrist, left elbow, and left pelvic fractures have been denied. The RO has assigned the highest possible rating of 10 percent for each condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his service-connected hammertoe, right wrist fracture, and right index finger fracture due to lack of evidence showing marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization.

The Board found no evidence of a current right or left wrist disability that is etiologically related to service. The veteran's claimed wrist disabilities are not considered service-connected.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left wrist scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for a left wrist ganglion cyst and the denial of a 10 percent rating for multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. � 3.324.

The veteran's left wrist disorder, characterized by chronic pain and limited motion, was granted a 20% evaluation effective January 13, 1998. The evaluation remains at 20% for the period beginning February 1, 1998.