Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings for various disabilities. The issues of service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, left foot strain (claimed as left foot condition), residuals of a traumatic brain injury, lumbar spondyloarthropathy/degenerative disk disease, and left elbow lateral epicondylitis are all remanded.

The Board has decided that a remand is necessary to address the service connection claim for triangular fibrocartilage complex tear of the right wrist due to an inadequate February 2015 VA medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and further development is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to ongoing development needs, including obtaining a dose estimate based on potential radiation exposure and scheduling an examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of chronic sinusitis, residuals of a right wrist fracture, and post-concussion syndrome (including chronic headaches) due to procedural errors in the prior rating decisions. The Veteran is required to undergo new examinations and provide adequate opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to incomplete records. The RO is instructed to attempt to obtain missing documents from the October 2017 DPRIS response and associate them with the claims file.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, major depressive disorder, shoulder disorders, elbow disorders, wrist disorders, low back disorders, right ankle disorders, and left foot disorders. The appeal is not about service connection at all in some cases.

The Board has reopened several service connection claims but denied others. The Veteran's hyperlipidemia claim is denied, while his fuzzy vision, headaches, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right arm pain, and left wrist disorder claims are granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have been granted, with a 10% rating assigned for each condition. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination and the need for an extraschedular evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected left wrist disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in a combined rating of 100 percent, but none alone render him unemployable. Therefore, his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board denied a rating higher than 10 percent for the Veteran's left wrist tendonitis, finding no evidence of ankylosis.

The Board has dismissed all the claims as the Appellant opted into the modernized review system (AMA) and selected the Higher Level Review lane, thus terminating the adjudication of her appeals in the legacy system.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a cardiovascular disorder, and carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity due to lack of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and remanded the issues of neurological disorders of the extremities, as well as TDIU. The neurological disorders are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disorder, left wrist CTS, right wrist CTS, RUE cervical radiculopathy, and LUE cervical radiculopathy. Service connection was also denied for DM as it is not shown to be related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions including bilateral elbow, wrist, knee disorders, a heart disorder, and a low back disorder due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome was diagnosed during his active duty service and has continued since then. The Board granted the claim for service connection based on continuity of symptoms.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, nasal polyps, bronchitis, muscle and joint pain, erectile dysfunction, left knee condition, right knee condition, thoracolumbar spine degenerative changes, bilateral wrist condition, and bilateral elbow condition. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings on several service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.