Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, left wrist disorder, and tinnitus are granted service connection. The right wrist disorder is denied service connection. Service connection for duodenal ulcer is also denied.,Service connection is established for a lumbar spine disorder, left wrist disorder, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development and examination to address the issues of service connection for various conditions, including sleep disorder, damaged teeth/TMJ disorder, acid reflux disorder, right ear condition/right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, low back disorder, and left wrist disorder.

The Veteran's claimed disabilities have not been linked to his military service and are attributed to known clinical diagnoses. The Board denied the claim for service connection as there is no evidence of a qualifying chronic disability that became manifest during active duty or within a prescribed presumptive period.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for depression has been reopened.,Claims for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for right upper extremity peripheral diabetic neuropathy with carpal tunnel syndrome, right lower extremity peripheral diabetic neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral diabetic neuropathy have all been dismissed as freestanding claims. The original decisions granting these conditions were final.,The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date prior to March 31, 2014, for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus has been dismissed as a freestanding claim. The original decision granting this condition was final.,The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date prior to March 31, 2014, for the grant of service connection for erectile dysfunction has been dismissed as a freestanding claim. The original decision granting this condition was final.,The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date prior to February 17, 2013, for the grant of service connection for left knee patellofemoral syndrome has been dismissed as a freestanding claim. The original decision granting this condition was final.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for residuals of right wrist fracture with traumatic arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity has been denied. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant an increased rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a low back disability, right knee disability, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neuropathy of the lower extremities due to internal inconsistencies in the Veteran's testimony regarding when her disabilities began.,The issue of service connection for a respiratory condition (asthma) remains pending as further development is needed.

The Board has remanded the claims for a right wrist disability and PTSD due to missing medical records from a city hospital in St. Louis, as well as recent mental health treatment records.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding various disability ratings and service connection claims due to his withdrawal of these issues during a hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for tinnitus has been denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent is already assigned.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for limitation of flexion of the right forearm and cubital tunnel syndrome, right have been remanded due to outstanding treatment records.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a respiratory disorder (pulmonary fibrosis) has been remanded as there is no diagnosis provided in the record.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for sleep apnea and left elbow disability have been remanded due to outstanding treatment records.,The Veteran's appeal for an effective date earlier than November 10, 2014, for the assignment of a 40 percent rating for cubital tunnel syndrome, right has been remanded as there are outstanding treatment records.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for migraine headaches have been remanded due to outstanding treatment records.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right wrists due to new evidence received since the May 2014 rating decision. However, the claim for an earlier effective date for a 100 percent evaluation for PTSD remains remanded as there is no clear evidence that VA did not follow its regular mailing practices.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for his painful left wrist scar, residual scars of the right knee, and other disabilities are denied. The Board finds that new examinations are needed to determine the current severity of these conditions.,The Veteran’s claims for increased ratings are REMANDED as there is insufficient evidence regarding the current severity of his right wrist, left wrist, back, right knee, left ankle, allergic rhinitis, and pseudofolliculitis barbae disabilities.

The Veteran's death was caused by multiple drug intoxication, with service-connected PTSD contributing substantially or materially to the cause of death. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death and service-connected burial benefits.

The appeal for right ear hearing loss is dismissed. The appeals for the low back disorder, left hip disorder, left ankle disorder, throat disorder, and right wrist disorder are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hemorrhoids, right testicular spermatoceles, and left wrist condition due to the need for additional development. The claims will be reconsidered after this new evidence is obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vocational rehabilitation and employment (VR&E) benefits claim requires additional evidence, including a new vocational rehabilitation evaluation considering his current symptomatology related to service-connected disabilities. The AOJ is instructed to obtain this information and associate it with the claims file.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left wrist disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is proximately due or aggravated by his service-connected right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's migraine headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, and obstructive sleep apnea are granted as secondary to his service-connected type I diabetes mellitus. The Veteran is also granted a 10 percent disability rating for his left ankle scar.

The Veteran's service connection claims for arthritis of the right knee, arthralgia of multiple joints, and CTS have all been denied as there is no evidence that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's combination of service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities precludes him from obtaining substantially gainful employment, thus meeting the criteria for nonservice-connected pension.