Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, hypertension, hyperlipidemia (claimed as high cholesterol), carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand and left hand. The reasons provided were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disorders, including right shoulder disorder, left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, back disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right ankle disorder, left foot disorder, and right foot disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for costochondritis is also denied due to lack of objective medical evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right knee and lumbar spine, and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran was assigned a 20% disability rating for his degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left wrist, and right wrist DJD have been reopened. Service connection is granted for right knee DJD, status post total knee arthroplasty, and bilateral wrist DJD as secondary to the use of crutches for service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right elbow gout with arthritis and limitation of flexion, right shoulder gout, and right wrist gout have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and bilateral wrist disability (including carpal tunnel syndrome) due to insufficient evidence, including a lack of current medical records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative joint disease with status-post right wrist injury and right wrist scar were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for either condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Lyme disease was denied as there is no evidence of current disability.,Initial ratings for left and right wrist tendinitis were granted at 10% each, effective from the date of the decision.

All claims for service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeals.

The Veteran's claims for various disabilities, including sleep disorder, respiratory disorder, acne scar disability, right shoulder disability, thoracolumbar spine (back) disability, left and right wrist disabilities, left and right knee disabilities, shin splints, and ankle disabilities have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.

The appeal as to the claims of entitlement to initial compensable evaluations for service-connected bilateral dry eye disorder, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hiatal hernia with gastrointestinal reflux disorder (GERD), erectile dysfunction (ED), right carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and left carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) has been dismissed.,The appeal as to the claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension is remanded.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition and any functional loss due to flare-ups.

The Veteran's left and right wrist symptoms are attributed to his service-connected fibromyalgia. The Board finds that the weight of evidence is against the Veteran’s claim for a separate diagnosis of a left and right wrist disorder other than fibromyalgia.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability, but denied the individual claims for carpal tunnel syndrome and back condition.

The Veteran's service-connected post-operative residuals of right and left carpal tunnel syndrome, upper airway resistance syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and post-traumatic headaches with photosensitivity are all granted. The Veteran is also awarded a non-compensable rating for his GERD.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, and chronic depression, are granted. Service connection is denied for OCD, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his right wrist condition on an extraschedular basis, finding that the current rating criteria adequately describe his condition and there is no evidence of marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, right shoulder disability, and cervical spine disability. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and is now considered on the merits. The Board found that new evidence supports reopening the claim, but denied service connection due to lack of a verified stressor.,Service connection was denied for left wrist sprain as there was no evidence linking it to service.