Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has dismissed all appeals for service connection due to the Veteran's withdrawal of her requests.

The Board has granted service connection for low back pain, bilateral wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and hypertension. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to have their onset in service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral wrist disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service events. The Veteran testified that he participated in rigorous training during service, but further evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related.

The Board has determined that there is not substantial compliance with its previous remand directives, and thus the Veteran's claim for service connection must be remanded again for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine, bilateral shoulders, and bilateral wrists. The examiner is asked to provide detailed information about range of motion tests and any additional functional loss due to pain during flare-ups or with repeated use over time.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to ensure substantial compliance with the prior remand directives. The Veteran's service connection claims for various shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand disabilities are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's residuals of a right wrist injury, finding that his current condition is related to an in-service injury and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected right shoulder and wrist disabilities, as well as his TDIU claim due to incomplete examination reports. The AOJ must ensure that any new examinations comply with VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of his reported flare-ups.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including bilateral deafness, a bilateral hip disorder, a neck disorder, a bilateral shoulder disorder, a back disorder, a bilateral knee disorder, a bilateral ankle disorder, a bilateral arm disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral hands, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder), hypertensive cardiovascular disease, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, a bilateral elbow disorder, and a bilateral foot disorder were not caused by or related to his active duty service.,The Veteran's claimed conditions did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's left ankle lateral/collateral ligament sprain is granted as service-connected. The initial rating for his left knee strain remains at 10 percent, with the issue of a higher rating being remanded. Service connection for nasal disability and right wrist disability are also remanded. The TDIU claim from June 11, 2007 through November 15, 2011 is still pending.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability, right wrist disability (including carpal tunnel syndrome), cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability have all been denied.,There is no evidence of a current disability in any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right hand condition (including carpal tunnel syndrome), and sleep apnea due to issues with the evidence considered and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a left wrist disability and a left wrist scar, finding that the earliest post-service evidence of these disabilities is more than 25 years after separation from service. The Veteran's STRs did not document any left wrist injury or chronic complaints.

The Board has granted an effective date of January 27, 2010 for the grant of a 30 percent evaluation for the service-connected right wrist disability to include ankylosis. The Veteran's claim for service connection for impairment of radial, ulnar and median nerves as secondary to his right wrist condition is denied due to lack of evidence showing neurological impairment prior to April 7, 2020.

The Board has withdrawn several issues from the Veteran's appeal, including those related to PTSD, IBS, lumbar degenerative disc disease and lumbar facet hypertrophy, obstructive sleep apnea, left ankle fracture with residual loose body, tendonitis and left foot talar osteochondral defect, right ankle osteochondral defect status post-surgical repair with history of strain. The Board has also remanded the Veteran's TDIU claim and his claims for service connection for blood clots of the left knee.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings in excess of the current disability ratings for his right wrist, back, sleep apnea, and right shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations conducted several years ago. Additional development is needed to assess the current severity levels of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete VA examinations and other procedural issues. The Veteran is also being referred for a TDIU determination prior to July 22, 2020.

The Board has determined that the etiological opinions provided by VA examiners are not based on an accurate factual premise and lack probative weight. Therefore, these claims are remanded for additional development.,VA examiners have failed to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms and their continuity since service.