Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings due to outstanding VA and SSA records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for colon disability is denied as there is no evidence of current disability.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C and right foot disability were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.,Memory loss is considered a symptom of the service-connected adjustment disorder with anxiety, so it does not warrant separate service connection.

The Board has ordered a VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected right wrist/hand scar with vitiligo. The Veteran is responsible for reporting for this examination.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including arthritis (claimed as gout), muscle and joint pains, left shoulder disability, left elbow disability, left wrist disability, lumbar spine disability, neck disability, left knee disability, bilateral foot disability, bilateral eye disability, dizziness, headache disability, and tinnitus. The Veteran's claim was remanded for further action on some issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected radial neuritis and scar of the left wrist are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral wrist carpal tunnel syndrome as the VA examination is inadequate and there are issues regarding functional impact.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various disabilities and whether new evidence supports reopening a claim. The case is returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's service connection claim for right wrist arthritis is denied, and the rating claim for left wrist arthritis is also denied. The Board found no evidence linking the right wrist condition to service-connected left wrist arthritis or any other in-service injury.

The petition to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for asthma is granted. The claims for service connection for left and right shoulder, wrist, hip, ankle, and knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board denied ratings higher than 20 percent for cervical strain and right carpal tunnel syndrome on an extraschedular basis, finding that the Veteran's symptoms were adequately addressed by the applicable diagnostic codes and did not show exceptional or unusual disability picture with related factors such as marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates have been denied as the evidence does not show an increase in disability prior to May 19, 2017.,VA has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to DEA benefits due to his service-connected disabilities because he did not meet the eligibility criteria at any time before May 19, 2017.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations for the Veteran's right wrist, cervical spine, lumbar spine, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities are inadequate. Additionally, a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the service connection of depression. The claims for service connection for these conditions are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left arm condition. The claim will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. The issues include right wrist arthritis, left wrist arthritis, sleep apnea, skin cancer, and pulmonary hypertension.

Service connection for right forearm, left forearm, right wrist, and left wrist disorders is denied.,Service connection for right knee and left knee disorders is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right wrist, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his in-service right wrist fracture.

The Veteran's right wrist scar is being remanded for further examination to determine the extent of any functional disability and whether there are any disabling effects not considered in a skin or scar rating.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for vertigo and carpal tunnel syndrome due to insufficient medical evidence, requiring further examination.

The appeal of the service connection claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is dismissed. An increased rating of 20 percent is granted for left clavicle disability, with a separate zero percent rating for scar residual. The claims for thoracic outlet syndrome and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has found that an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a right wrist disability is not warranted. The Veteran's claim to reopen the previously denied claim was received by VA on December 23, 2010, and so this decision does not address his claim for left ulnar neuropathy.