Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU beginning March 16, 2018. The right shoulder disorder and left wrist disorder claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and review, including obtaining private treatment records from Kaiser Permanente and scheduling a VA nerves examination to address whether the Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome is caused or aggravated by his service-connected ununited right scaphoid fracture. The examiner should also assess whether recent symptoms of right wrist fracture constitute functional ankylosis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the residuals of bilateral fractured distal radius open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), including bilateral wrist arthritis or median nerve neuropathy, due to a lack of evidence showing that VA carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault caused these conditions.

The Veteran's right and left foot disabilities, as well as peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, are granted. The Veteran's service connection claims for these conditions are based on direct evidence rather than a presumption or secondary theory.

The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, heart condition, hypothyroidism, migratory inflammatory arthritis of the elbows, wrists, fingers, thumbs, hips, and knees, as well as left and right shoulder conditions due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.,Service connection was not granted because there is no medical evidence showing that any of the claimed conditions were incurred or aggravated during military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not meet the criteria for a current disability.,Service connection has been granted for tinnitus, with the presumption of service connection due to its chronic nature and continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of left-hand/wrist carpal tunnel syndrome was remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether his current symptoms are related to VA care, and for obtaining the full informed consent document from his surgery.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right hand and wrist conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted entitlement to a Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,An effective date earlier than January 30, 2007, for the grant of service connection for a lumbar scar is denied.,Effective dates earlier than September 25, 2018, for the grants of 10% ratings for partial paresthesia and ganglion cyst are denied.

The appeal for service connection for a low back disorder is dismissed.,The appeal for service connection for PTSD is dismissed.,A compensable rating for PTSD from August 21, 2018 to May 2, 2019 is denied.,Service connection for forgetfulness is denied.,Service connection for narcolepsy is denied.,Service connection for a right elbow disorder is denied.,Service connection for a left elbow disorder is denied.,Service connection for a right wrist disorder is denied.,Service connection for a left wrist disorder is denied.,Service connection for a right hip disorder is denied.,Service connection for a left hip disorder is denied.,Service connection for a headache disorder is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate opinions provided by VA examiners. The issues include right hand, right wrist, back, left knee conditions and sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right wrist, bilateral knee, and right ankle conditions due to insufficient examination findings. The initial compensable rating claim for left inguinal hernia scar remains denied.

The Board denied service connection for right upper extremity neuropathy with carpal tunnel syndrome, left upper extremity neuropathy with carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral hip disabilities, and bilateral ankle disabilities. A total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) was granted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and information.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to new evidence received, including a VA examination. The issues of service connection for right wrist disability, left wrist disability, and TDIU are being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including back, left hip, right hip, left hand and wrist, right hand and wrist, left foot, and right foot disabilities. The appeals are pending resolution.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for OSA, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, a skin disability including sebaceous cyst and benign growth of the right hand, and a right ankle disability has been denied.,There is no current diagnosis of these conditions in the record. The Board finds that the evidence does not support finding that any of these conditions began during service or are related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left wrist disability, finding that her current condition is related to her in-service injury.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased disability ratings for diabetes mellitus II and residuals of a right wrist fracture, resulting in the dismissal of these claims.