Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected disabilities, including hypertension and unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder. The decision grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of left knee disability, pilonidal cyst, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and radiculopathy of the right upper extremity due to lack of competent evidence showing these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's additional bilateral wrist and right knee disabilities are as likely as not the result of negligence or other deviation from the standard of care during VA treatment in January 1993, which caused his pre-existing conditions to worsen.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral carpal syndrome is granted. The claims for initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and hemorrhoids, as well as service connection for arthritis of the hands and wrists and vitiligo are remanded.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis was granted service connection. The right wrist condition, right shoulder condition, and chest condition were denied as not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral carpal tunnel syndromes due to insufficient evidence of more severe impairment. The current ratings of 30 percent and 20 percent are deemed appropriate based on moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include tinnitus, hearing loss disability, low back disability, right knee disability, right wrist disability, left wrist disability, acquired psychiatric disability (including depression and anxiety), heart palpitations, and a disability of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) including grinding of teeth.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, chronic right and left wrist sprain, and denied service connection for a left ankle condition, right ankle condition, lower back condition, and neck condition.

The Veteran's service-connected right wrist fracture with degenerative arthritis is alleged to have caused or aggravated his current bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, but the VA examiner did not adequately address this in their opinion. The Board has ordered a new examination and requested an addendum opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability, and therefore grants a total disability rating by reason of individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for right wrist condition, right knee condition, and GERD.

The Board has granted service connection for a right hand disability, wrist, elbow, and upper extremity nerves as related to the Veteran's in-service injury. The decision is based on the Veteran's statements, his current disability, and service treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions and incomplete service records. The issues of service connection for heart disease, bilateral knee disorders, elbow disorders, wrist disorder, hip disorders, shin splints, and GERD are being referred back for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for cervical radiculopathy and carpal tunnel syndrome of both upper extremities due to pending issues regarding an effective date prior to September 15, 2014.

The reduction of the disability rating for cervical spine intervertebral disc syndrome from 30 percent to 20 percent was not proper, and restoration of the 30 percent rating is granted.,The reduction of the disability rating for carpal tunnel syndrome (right hand) from 30 percent to 10 percent was also not proper, and restoration of the 30 percent rating is granted.

The Board has granted increased staged ratings for bilateral CTS and denied service connection for GERD. The Veteran's effective date for PTSD was also set aside. The case is being remanded due to the improper reliance on a May 2016 VA examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to incomplete records and inadequate examination reports. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical evidence, including treatment records from VA facilities and SSA records. He also needs to undergo further examinations for his neck, low back, and right shoulder disabilities, as well as a psychiatric examination.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right upper extremities. Service connection was granted for peripheral neuropathy of all four extremities, with a presumption that it is related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for right wrist degenerative arthritis and TDIU prior to May 17, 2019 are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining a VA opinion regarding his employment capacity and referring the TDIU claim to the Compensation Service Director for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now pending. The Board has found new and material evidence to support the reopening of his claims.