Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for painful joints and bilateral eye disabilities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.,Specifically, the VA examiner determined that the Veteran’s current joint pain and eye disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ganglion cysts, right wrist and left wrist were denied. The Veteran was granted initial compensatory disability ratings for hypertension and cardiomyopathy, as well as an initial 20 percent rating for a left shoulder condition. Other service-connected conditions received increased or new disability ratings.

The Board denied service connection for left wrist tendonitis and left thumb tendonitis, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to her military service.,For the right ankle disability, the Board found insufficient evidence to determine if it was caused or aggravated by her service-connected right foot disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for muscle injury to the left hand (including Dupuytren’s contracture) and nerve damage to the left hand (including carpal tunnel syndrome), finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since April 25, 2008.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a link between any of these conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 29, 2008 for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not show that he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due solely to his service-connected conditions during this period.

The Board denied compensation for right wrist tendonitis and left shoulder rotator cuff tear, finding that the disabilities were not caused by VA medical care.

The Board has dismissed the issue of whether new and material evidence was received to reopen a claim for service connection for sleep apnea. The claims for shin splints, right ankle, left ankle, right wrist, left wrist, right shoulder, and low back disabilities have been reopened due to receipt of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right wrist disabilities due to insufficient examination findings, including failure to address functional impairment. A new VA examination is required.

The Board has identified new evidence and is remanding the case for readjudication by the RO in light of this additional information.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received, but service connection for upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is still denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate reasons and bases, inconsistent findings with the record, and lack of discussion regarding functional impairment. The case is returned to the Board for further review.

The Veteran's right elbow scar is granted service connection. The Board also found that the Veteran has a current lumbar spine disorder, but did not determine if it was related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his injury during service and the in-service treatment for a left wrist disorder. The claim will be returned for further development.

The Board denied increased ratings for postoperative carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right hands, as well as pes planus. The Veteran's conditions are deemed to be service-connected based on direct evidence.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's death, and no jurisdiction remains for the merits of the claims.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right wrist strain, status post carpal tunnel release was denied. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher than 30 percent rating.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and denied service connection for right wrist disability. The case is remanded to assign a disability rating and effective date, as well as to consider the TDIU claim.