Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, TMJ disorder, right wrist disability, fatigue, nausea, and weight instability have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen these claims.,Service connection was not established for any of the conditions listed due to lack of in-service diagnosis or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral arm and hand conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis affecting the shoulders, hands, and wrists, as they are not related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disability and TMJ disorder, finding that there is no causal relationship between these conditions and her active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back and left wrist conditions due to outstanding VA records, including SSA disability benefits records. The claims are also remanded for additional medical examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist sprain with partial thickness tear of the dorsal band, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and an undiagnosed illness manifested by right hip pain, left hip pain, shortness of breath on exertion, vasovagal syncope, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and blood in stools. The Veteran's cervical strain and lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and spondylolysis without myelopathy are remanded for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding records not being obtained. The Veteran is asked to authorize release of his treatment records from Wright-Patterson AFB and Castle AFB, and VA will attempt to obtain these records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his service connection claims for major depressive disorder, migraine headaches, sleep apnea, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and low back disability. The appeals are now on their merits.

The Veteran's service-connected right wrist disability is currently rated as 40 percent disabling. The Board finds a need for additional examination to assess the current severity of her right wrist disability and whether she has muscle atrophy of the right forearm, which may be related to her service-connected condition. The issues of entitlement to higher ratings and secondary service connection are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for corneal scars and granted a 10 percent rating for residuals of a left wrist fracture with wrist strain.,The Board denied an initial compensable rating for superficial and nonlinear scars on the left leg from March 1, 2014 to May 29, 2018, a compensable rating for deep, nonlinear scar of the left lower extremity from May 29, 2018, and a compensable rating for superficial linear scars of the left lower extremity from May 29, 2018.,The Board denied an initial rating greater than 10 percent for painful scarring of the left lower extremity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and medical opinions. The issues of service connection for left wrist disability, right knee disability, and initial rating for low back pain and bulging disc with foraminal stenosis, lumbar spine are all being remanded.

The Board has remanded several claims for further development due to the submission of new medical evidence, including VA treatment records and private treatment records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions such as amenorrhea, polycystic ovarian syndrome, a bilateral breast disability, acne, back disability, right knee disability, right ear disability, and right wrist disability.

The Board denied payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Moberly Regional Medical Center on January 2, 2018 due to the lack of pre-authorization and failure to meet the criteria for emergency treatment under 38 U.S.C. § 1725.

The Board denied the claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the April 1972 rating decision that granted service connection for residuals of shrapnel wound and fracture of the right wrist, as reasonable minds could disagree about whether the disability was moderately severe or severe.

The Veteran's bilateral hand numbness and tingling, including his carpal tunnel syndrome, are remanded for further examination. The issue of an increased rating for peripheral nerve damage and numbness in the left lower extremity is also remanded due to a lack of clarity regarding whether it is separate from service-connected radiculopathy. The lumbar spine condition remains remanded.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including degenerative joint disease of the right knee, is granted as service-connected. Other conditions are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected right elbow condition is found to be the proximate cause of his painful right wrist motion. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left wrist tendinitis is related to her military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, generalized anxiety disorder with major depression prior to April 11, 2016, sleep apnea, GERD, right wrist sprain with avascular necrosis, status post removal of necrotic bone, psoriasis, diabetes, right ankle sprain, right knee disorder, right foot disorder, bilateral leg disorder, chest disorder, residuals of head injury including scar, and vocal chords disorder are all remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for a left wrist disorder and granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss with an initial rating of 20 percent, effective February 3, 2014. The decision also found that the Veteran's current left wrist disability is not related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have made him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus the Board has granted his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).