Wrist & hand Board decisions

Service connection for a right shoulder disability is granted. A disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right wrist osteoarthritis is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine, back, right hip, left arm (claimed as progressive muscular atrophy), and right arm disabilities. Service connection was granted for migraine headaches.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain a VA examination and medical opinion for the Veteran's service connection claims related to frostbite, poor circulation, carpal tunnel syndrome, and PTSD.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of a definitive opinion and potential missing records. The Veteran is also required to provide authorization for VA to obtain relevant records from his incarceration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist disorder, OSA, HTN, and lumbar disc disease has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The claims are granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding his claimed disabilities and exposure during military service. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to address these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded the remaining claims due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities and to obtain updated VA examinations.,The Veteran has multiple issues related to his service-connected disabilities, including increased ratings for various knee disorders, shoulder strain, wrist strain, thoracic spine compression fracture, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, bilateral plantar fasciitis with first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative arthritis, pansinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and tension headaches. Additionally, he seeks service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and right flank condition with numbness.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been assigned a 10 percent disability rating, which is the maximum schedular rating authorized under the applicable rating criteria. The Board finds no other applicable diagnostic code on which a higher schedular disability rating could be assigned for his service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a depressive disorder has been reopened and granted. The right foot metatarsalgia with pes planus and degenerative joint disease is rated at 20 percent.,Right hip replacement, left wrist cyst secondary to service-connected disabilities, lumbosacral strain, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy with sciatic nerve involvement of the left lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy with external cutaneous nerve involvement of the left lower extremity are all remanded for further review.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right shoulder, left wrist tendinitis, back, and neck disabilities have been denied. The VA found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional loss or additional limitations due to pain.

The Veteran's claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left wrist status post-surgery, to include malalignment and left wrist osteoarthritis distal radius ulnar joint with ulnar minus 6 mm, was denied as the evidence did not show that VA treatment caused his additional disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches, to include as secondary to service-connected traumatic brain injury, was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current condition and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left arm and wrist disorder, finding no direct or secondary relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's ulcerative colitis has been granted a 60% rating. The right wrist disability claim is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the left arm was granted, and a 10% rating is assigned.,Service connection for right knee disability has been remanded due to new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her low back disability, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, deviated septum with sinusitis, right wrist scar, and PTSD with depression was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a left wrist disorder and a fractured little finger were denied. His increased ratings for knee disabilities were also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for carpal tunnel syndrome in the right and left wrist, as well as his request for an initial compensable disability rating for shingles, were denied. The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the shingles claim during a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's right wrist DJD is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted and remands the case for further development, including a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right wrist disability.

A 50 percent rating is granted for the Veteran’s service-connected Major Depressive Disorder with Anxiety throughout, effective July 26, 2012. The Board also remanded several issues related to other conditions.