Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to address the etiology of the Veteran's left hand conditions, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right elbow condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist injury is granted. The claims for status post fifth toe fracture and status first metatarsal osteotomy, left are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist disability, passive aggressive personality disorder, and hepatitis C have been reopened. The claim for bilateral knee disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a stomach disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), headaches, nerve damage to the right wrist, and chronic anxiety reaction with psychological gastrointestinal complaints due to insufficient examination reports addressing whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for issuance of a Statement of the Case addressing the claim of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right wrist strain, old trauma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran should be afforded VA examinations to determine whether he has preexisting hearing loss and tinnitus that were aggravated during service, or if they are related to his MOS (sirens, road noises, and weapons noises). For carpal tunnel syndrome, the Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine its onset in service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PAD, due to exposure at Camp Lejeune, is granted.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted as the evidence shows it began during service and persists.,Service connection for a left wrist condition is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for tension headaches is denied.,Service connection for left side sciatic nerve damage is denied.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.

The Veteran's headaches are service-connected as secondary to his major depressive disorder. The Board also granted TDIU based on the Veteran's major depressive disorder and other service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, right hand and left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, an acquired psychiatric condition, and a sleep disorder. The Veteran's ankylosing spondylitis with uveitis was granted a 40% rating.

The Board has denied all service connection claims and increased rating claims for various conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist, sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a sliding hiatal hernia with associated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with noncardiac chest pain.

The Board denied service connection for upper back pain and left wrist pain and weakness, finding no current diagnosis of an upper back disability and that any related issues are already contemplated by the rating criteria for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's malaria and left wrist and knee disabilities. The Appellant is being asked to provide a statement of the case on her claims for increased ratings for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of left or right wrist conditions and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's right arm disability (right carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome with peripheral neuropathy) was previously rated at 20 percent. The RO has remanded the case for a new examination to assess the current level of severity of his service-connected condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right arm ulnar neuropathy, carpal tunnel, and scarring. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during or were related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals are being remanded due to the failure of VA to obtain and consider certain treatment records, as well as for a new VA examination of the toes.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his claims.,Obstructive sleep apnea has been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as irritable bowel syndrome. The conditions are considered to have originated during military service.

The Veteran's initial increased evaluation for residuals of right wrist volar ganglion is denied. The Veteran was previously granted a noncompensable rating, and the current appeal seeks an increase to at least 10 percent.,For the period from April 1, 2008, to December 1, 2008, and February 1, 2009, to January 22, 2014, the Veteran's initial increased evaluation for residuals of left lateral meniscectomy with osteoarthritis is denied. The Veteran was previously granted a 10 percent rating, and the current appeal seeks an increase to at least 30 percent.,For the period beginning September 7, 2017, the Veteran's increased evaluation for residuals of left lateral meniscectomy with osteoarthritis (post total knee arthroplasty) is granted. The Veteran was previously rated as 60 percent disabled and now receives a higher rating of 60 percent.

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