Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and remanded the issues of service connection for eye impairment and left wrist impairment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left ankle and left wrist disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran contends his current conditions are related to service, but the VA examiners found no evidence of a direct connection.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. His right knee disability, characterized as a torn medial meniscus, was not rated higher than 10 percent. His back disability, characterized as degenerative arthritis of the spine, also did not warrant an increase beyond 10 percent. Service connection was denied for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and sleep condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, ratings, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical examination and opinion regarding service connection for a right wrist/arm disability. The Veteran needs to be provided with a new VA examination that considers whether any other current disability of the right arm or wrist is related to service, including the November 1995 crush injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for right wrist CTS and TDIU from April 6, 2016, to October 30, 2017 are remanded due to the need for updated medical records and examination. The effective date of service connection remains February 14, 2001.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right upper extremity CTS, left upper extremity CTS, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and evaluation due to the need for clarification on the nature of his low back, right wrist, left hand/index finger conditions, as well as a possible aggravation by service-connected left shoulder disability. The Veteran also needs an updated VA examination regarding his left hip sprain and migraine headaches.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected right-hand injuries have been granted increased ratings, with the highest rating of 50% for carpal tunnel syndrome and a separate 10% rating for skin scarring.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to a temporary total evaluation for left pectoralis disability prior to February 13, 2017 and beginning May 1, 2017 due to previous remand.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his request for withdrawal of these claims.

The Board has determined that the VA examination provided during the remand was inadequate due to the lack of an electromyography (EMG) test, and thus the case is being returned for further development.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals on service connection claims for migraine headaches, bilateral upper extremity cold weather injury, bilateral lower extremity cold weather injury, bilateral CTS, bilateral shoulder injury, and hypertension due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these issues prior to the promulgation of decisions.

The Veteran's diabetes was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period; continuity of symptomatology is not established; and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.,The evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that the Veteran's BLE peripheral neuropathy began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that the Veteran's BUE peripheral neuropathy began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that the Veteran has had bilateral CTS at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.,The evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that the Veteran's bilateral eye conditions began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion on the etiology of his median nerve paralysis/carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate medical opinions and missing Social Security Administration records. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents, which may be related to his upper extremity nerve condition and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his diabetes and kidney issues, required regular aid and attendance. The Board granted SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left wrist disabilities due to insufficient explanation in the previous opinion regarding the Veteran's lay reports of symptoms during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability and wrist disability was granted with an effective date of December 28, 2004. Her spouse N. was added as a dependent to her VA benefits on the same day.,Her children D. and J. were also added as dependents to her VA benefits starting from October 1, 2016.